Guilty Hearts
by LMELMK-1970
Summary: This story uses GH's unsung couple Jason Morgan & Elizabeth Webber Lisaoncentric but in a completely different setting. This story will be alternate universe. ELizabeth is married to Anthony Malucci head of a rival Mafia Family and despite his best ef
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
Jason's eyes darted between the half open door of the master bedroom and the ever still elevator doors, mind wandering what the hell was taking Dr. Johnjulio so long in getting there. The good doctor had been handsomely paid for his services throughout the years as the Morgan family physician. Jason knew today would be no different. What he was about to request of Dr. Harold Johnjulio had the potential of sparking an all out Mafia war but none of that mattered to Jason.  
  
"Jason," the man's voice startled him.  
  
"What the hell took you so long?!?" Jason barked.  
  
"I was in the middle of an examination when you called. Jason....I couldn't just walk out on a patient," the older gentleman countered.  
  
"Excuse me?" Jason said sarcastically.  
  
"I do have a legitimate practice," Dr. Johnjulio said as though it should have made a difference.  
  
"I don't give a fuck about your life inside the law. You know the game Harold," Jason's voice dripped with animosity. "When we say jump you say how high. I am making myself clear? I would hate for your practice to be short a partner." Jason smiled while he spoke.  
  
The subtle threat was one that wasn't lost on Harold Johnjulio. "Point taken Jason. Now what seems to be the problem? You were so vague on the phone."  
  
"Follow me." He motioned to the master bedroom of the expansive penthouse. Jason nodded to the two heavily armed men who immediately took position guarding the door.  
  
"Isn't that?" Dr. Johnjulio asked pointing to the young woman sprawled across the king size bed.  
  
"Yes it is," Jason answered the doctor's question with few words.  
  
"What happened?" Jason handed over the empty vial. "Are you saying that she took them all?" The concern in Harold Johnjulio's tone wasn't lost on Jason who was only able to nod his head in response as her cryptic call scrolled through his head continuously.  
  
"Do you have any idea how many she took or how many were even in the bottle?" Dr. Johnjulio moved forward to where his patient lay inert atop the ornate comforter. He needed to assess her condition further even though in the back of his mind he was certain that the outcome wouldn't be a good one.  
  
Jason knew that the man across the room was talking to him but he wasn't able to concentrate on anything he was hearing. All he could hear was her soft words of goodbye – how sorry she was – and how much she had loved him.  
  
He walked across the room to the wall of windows that looked out over the Chicago skyline. He watched the storm brewing overhead. Ominous clouds rolled quickly across the darkening sky as brilliant flashes of light now and again lit up the city with magnum force. Jason stood surveying the impending tempest finally coming to realize that his life held the same destructive force yet he was powerless to do a damn thing to stop it.  
  
So many times he had attempted to reign in his feelings; to heed the words of men much wiser than himself; to fully understand the severity of what his actions could cost, yet all those logical, reasonable thoughts got lost in the beauty of her face; the sound of her intense laughter and brilliance of her smile.  
  
Jason swallowed hard around the lump in his throat forcing down the flow of tears that hung in his eyes. Now wasn't the time for such emotions. He had to be clear headed and rational – yet he knew that for more than a year now he had been neither of those things.  
  
He had known all along leading with his heart was bound to bring about his own demise and that coupled with who held the strings to his tender heart only served to complicate things all the more. Both of them knew what they were doing was wrong, what it could cost them but all those things, well, they were better left unsaid.  
  
A loud clap of thunder above followed by yet another powerful burst of light sent a chill through Jason's frame. He breathed deeply running his fingers through his spiked blonde hair forcing his mind to consciously devise a plan.  
  
"Jason," Dr. Johnjulio came up from behind. "We need to get her to the emergency room immediately. I don't have any idea how many of those sleeping pills she's taken. It's obvious from the empty wine bottle that's what she took them with. Not a great combination. Then again for the effect she was looking to achieve it works well. I have to get her stomach pumped."  
  
"NO!"  
  
"What do you mean no?" the doctor countered. "Jason, you don't seem to grasp the severity of this. Her breathing is shallow and pulse is thready at best. The longer those drugs are in her system the greater the chance is that she will die. Is that what you want?" Dr. Johnjulio asked knowing full well of the not so silent war that raged between the Morgan and Malucci families. He was unable to gauge exactly what was running through Jason's mind presently.  
  
"No," Jason whispered as his stare was drawn to her lifeless body.  
  
"Then what other choice do we have?"  
  
"Do it here," Jason answered completely serious.  
  
"What?" the doctor countered in shock.  
  
"You heard me. Do it here."  
  
"That's impossible," Dr. Johnjulio stuttered. "I don't have the equipment necessary to handle such a procedure. Besides it's not just pumping her stomach. She will have to be monitored for at least seventy- two hours. That's the standard for any suicide attempt," he said as if he had forgotten whom it was he was talking with. What he had just mentioned was the hospital protocols. Yet in the Mafia there was an entirely different set of rules.  
  
"FUCK your standards! Get whatever you need to pump her stomach and then make arrangements for her to be moved to a private facility well outside of the Chicago area."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Aren't you listening man?" Jason almost growled.  
  
"No, I think you are the one that hasn't been listening Jason. What's happening with her right now could have dire consequences if we don't get her to a hospital right now."  
  
"It could have the same fucking outcome if we do!" Jason said matter of fact thinking back to the tail Malucci had placed on her. He wasn't about to take any more chances. "JUST DO IT!" Jason yelled.  
  
"At least let me take her to my office," the man argued.  
  
"DO IT HERE!"  
  
"Jason...."  
  
Before the good doctor was able to say anymore Jason had him pinned against the cold panes of glass. His hand tightly wrapped around Harold Johnjulio's throat. "You have taken bullets out of men on my fucking dining room table; you have stitched up wounds without any anesthesia in the back of god damned cars; so you WILL be taking care of her RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW. If she dies – well after I get through with you, you will wish that my father would have killed you all those years ago!" Jason's voice boomed.  
  
"I don't have the equipment......." Dr. Johnjulio heard his voice quiver.  
  
Jason turned his head, eyes coming to rest on her lifeless frame. Even from this short distance he could barely see the rise and fall of her chest. The idea of never seeing her again; never feeling the touch of her skin against his; never taking the pleasure in the warmth of her body; losing what Jason knew to be the love of his life had been difficult enough to deal with when she was pushing him away but now to think that she could cease to exist – well that was a notion that his mind couldn't fathom.  
  
To hell with the consequences. Whatever war this would bring forth he would fight it. He had come this far and he wasn't about to let Malucci win the ultimate prize. He wasn't about to let him have Elizabeth one second longer than he already had. 


	2. Chapter 1

One year earlier......  
  
Elizabeth lifted the frosted glass to her lips letting its contents cool her from within. The summer season had hit Chicago earlier than usual this year and she intended on taking advantage of its sun filled days. Through the black lens of her sunglasses, she studied her surroundings vaguely wondering how it was she had gotten there in the first place – to a place that was filled with so much emptiness.  
  
Two years before she had been a blushing bride yet now she was nothing more than a trophy that Anthony Malucci brought out when he needed to court a sense of legitimacy. What a fool she had been so young and so naïve to think that his romantic sentiments had been real. She had willingly bought into the fantasy he and her own father created for her. The first six months of their marriage had been an extension of the idyllic illusion but soon after Elizabeth came to realize that the rumors floating around regarding the 'Great Tony Malucci' held more truth than she wanted to believe.  
  
She had easily fallen for all his tales of the loves gone wrong in his life. She believed him when he told her that in her he had found his soul mate. Being the romantic that she was, Elizabeth let the charismatic man that her father had brought to their house completely sweep her off her feet in a time when she needed it the most.  
  
She now wished she had listened to that nagging voice in the back of her mind that kept repeating – if it seems too good to be true it more than likely is. But at the tender age of nineteen, she hadn't been forced yet to see the world without her rose colored glasses.  
  
Elizabeth changed positions again allowing the sun's rays to assault her back as she motioned for Helena to bring her another margarita. It seemed as of late her days passed endlessly in the same fashion. Anthony was barely home and when he was most of that time was spent in hushed conversations not meant for her ears.  
  
In the onset of their marriage, Elizabeth was under the mistaken impression that she was to be a part of all aspects of her husband's life. To her that's what a marriage was, a partnership where both parties shared everything with the other. However it didn't take long for her to understand that any ideas she harbored about marriage became null and void the day she became Mrs. Anthony Malucci.  
  
The concepts of faithfulness and honoring a commitment were things that her husband put very little if any stock in. The passion that the start of their relationship held was to be no more as Anthony did little if anything to hide the goomahs that frequented his bed and as time wore on he, as well the women, become more and more brazen. A fact that not only sickened Elizabeth but had also pushed her to get lost in a liquor filled haze.  
  
She knew that there was no walking away from her life with Anthony. He had made that perfectly clear. He had fed her enough information in the beginning to ensure that should she ever think of leaving him she would be seen as a threat to the family and dealt with as such. Anthony's initial threat was one to this day that Elizabeth would never forget. Thinking back on it now, she was curious if he hadn't purposely set her up to hear all that she had, but really none of that mattered anymore. Tony Malucci played his young wife from the very start. It was simple to see that she had a fairy tale idea of what marriage was and when he came to realize that he couldn't provide her with such things it was time for him to ensure that his little arrangement would be cemented none the less.  
  
For him Elizabeth was so predictable, so easy to manipulate but then again he was the master manipulator. The men in his crew had told him of countless times that they had caught his lovely young bride lurking around rooms and doors that had been better left alone. One night after a rather heated argument, one in which Elizabeth said in no uncertain terms that this wasn't the kind of marriage she signed on for and that she was leaving, Tony knew that it was time to take action to guarantee his plans.  
  
He called a bogus meeting of his crew, a meeting that he was sure Elizabeth was to have knowledge of. Purposely leaving the door ajar, Anthony went about ordering a hit on an imaginary enemy. Through the crack in the door he could see the color draining from her face until she was paler than a ghost. He had to stifle a laugh at how easily she had been played. Yet the true fear came when he had confronted her that night as she hastily packed her bags.  
  
'Bruno said he caught you lurking outside my study this afternoon,' Anthony said eyeing his wife and her actions.  
'What?' she heard her voice shake and wished she was able to control it.  
'You heard me. What were you doing outside of my study?'  
'Nothing......nothing......'  
'What did you hear Elizabeth?' he was relentless in his questioning.  
'Nothing – I didn't hear anything." She continued haphazardly throwing her clothes into the open suitcase.  
'Then what's with the sudden urge to pack?'  
'I told you I couldn't live like this. I told you last night I was leaving!' Elizabeth said with more force than she believed she had.  
'Oh my dear I don't think so' he spat toppling the case to the floor.  
'You can't make me stay here!' she yelled as she inched away from him.  
'THE FUCK I CAN'T!!' Anthony grabbed her hard by the forearms dragging her body to his own. 'What the fuck did you hear?'  
'Nothing!' Elizabeth said again knowing that feigning ignorance was her best defense.  
'What makes you think you can get away with lying to me?' he laughed.  
'I swear to you Tony, I didn't hear anything. I didn't even know you were having a meeting today.'  
'Let's get one thing straight my dear wife. I know what you heard. I know you know about the hit against Victor Falco.' Elizabeth shook her head as if to say she didn't. 'Well you do now! Just so we understand one another, that makes you a true member of this family, a member in every sense of the word. Am I making myself clear Elizabeth?' he questioned.  
'Uh-huh," she nodded drawing her bottom lip between her teeth as a way of staving off the threatening tears.  
'You are one of us now. Not to say that you couldn't meet with some accident should you decide that being my wife no longer suits you.'  
He let go of her arms and Elizabeth landed in a heap on the floor alongside the bed.  
  
That event still had the ability to make Elizabeth shiver. She knew in her heart that she was expendable and that there was no where she could run that Anthony wouldn't find her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jason crossed the room closing the door in a vain attempt at shutting out the noisy preparations going on around him. That evening would be a gala event, the celebration of his baby sister's engagement. To the outside world that's all that would be happening but Jason knew that there would be a great deal more taking place beneath the surface.  
  
It was humorous to him that each great party that had taken place at the Morgan estate had a hidden agenda to it, a real reason for the ostentatious display. Joseph Morgan was all about honor and propriety yet he was ruthless to the core and tonight Jason knew it would be no different. While Joseph would make his rounds playing the doting father for his guests, the true reason that all the heads of the ten crime families were present would come when the party was in full swing so that no one would be missed.  
  
Jason did his best to focus on the sequence of events that had brought about this particular crossroads. All paths led to the Malucci family. Rocco, patriarch of the family, was in failing health and his son Anthony was none too pleased with the current arrangements between his family and the Morgans. In his short sightedness, Anthony had become greedy in an attempt to right the wrong he felt was being committed against his crew. This wasn't something that sat well with either Jason or his father. Joseph knew that Rocco wasn't to live much longer and he needed to put his son in his place before an all out war broke loose.  
  
Jason walked over to the sideboard and opened the tiny bar refrigerator grabbing himself a beer. Throwing his head back, the golden liquid burned a path into the pit of his stomach. He took another long swig in hopes that the stupor he was working on would get him through the upcoming evening. If Joseph Morgan had been witness to his son's actions at the moment, Jason could already hear the older man's words. He would be spouting the rhetoric that Jason now heard in his sleep. It was old and tiresome. He knew his place and didn't need the constant reminders that his father put forth at every turn.  
  
Jason knew that there would never be a party such as the one being planned at the moment in his honor. He wasn't going to have the luxury of finding a true love like Emily had; wasn't going to be afforded the opportunity to walk away from the family business as AJ had been. Those things weren't in the cards that Jason had been dealt. He had come to accept that but at times like this it didn't make it hurt any less.  
  
Again he sat down at the desk listening to the whirlwind of activity taking place just outside his window. He heard his mother's voice as she gave orders to the staff, the orchestra began tuning their various instruments, the caterer and his assistants wheeled cart after cart laidened with food past the open window on their way to the large tent set up adjacent to the pool for what all on the surface seemed so ordinary.  
  
Jason absently wondered what ordinary even was. The dictionary definition certainly didn't fit the bill for the Morgan family or any other family that he had had contact with for most of his life. Yet though Joseph Morgan pulled off ordinary quite well. He had been able to hide most of his activities behind one phony front or another. Jason knew that many of those people on the guest list that night had no clue truly who or what the Morgan family was. The idea of it all amazed him. How his father had one face with two completely separate personalities. That was a trick that Jason had not yet mastered.  
  
Jason had been groomed from a very young age to be the next heir apparent. At the start of it all, he hadn't quite grasped all that it had meant. He simply enjoyed the time his father devoted to him. He enjoyed the closeness that he single handily seemed to share with Joseph. But as time wore on that time that Jason treasured so much became something he grew to despise. He watched as he lived by an entirely different set of rules than his bother and sister. While they were relishing their youth, Jason was suddenly a man before ever physically growing into one. His father's explanation as to why still rang in Jason's ears on times like this.  
  
'Son,' Joseph began, 'I need you to understand something. I need you to know that you are the future of this family.'  
'What?' the novice thirteen-year-old asked.  
'One day this will all be yours." Joseph gestured to the mahogany-paneled room around them.  
'The house?' Jason asked still not understanding his father.  
'No son,' Joseph did his best not to sound agitated. 'Our business. You someday will sit in authority over the men that occupy these chairs. It will be you that the others look to for leadership and guidance. One day soon you will wear this ring.' Joseph brought forth his right hand that held the diamond crusted pinkie ring. 'You my son will be the next head of the Morgan family.'  
'What about AJ or Emily?'  
'Emily?' Joseph laughed. 'No son this is by far not a job for your sister and AJ – well he has no mind for business. He works better with his hands. Jason, you are the chosen one. It is you who will continue what it is I have started......'  
  
That was only the beginning of many more conversations that he and his father would have over the years until Jason came to fully comprehend exactly what was in store for him – a lonely existence forever looking over his shoulder. 


	3. Chapter 2

Reaching for her glass once more Elizabeth caught sight of her father making his way across the cobblestone patio to where she sat. She felt her body tense immediately. Long gone were the days when the man striding toward her was a welcoming sight. Her sham of a marriage and the part he played in it had made sure of that.  
  
She leaned over the chaise lounge slipping her silken cover up over her string bikini, preparing herself for whatever her father had in store for her this time. It seemed as of late that all of his visits came with strings attached.  
  
"Father," she said coldly as he took a seat across from her.  
  
"How are you darling?" He smiled all the while uneasy. Sitting across from his only daughter knowing full well how much she despised him was more than a bit unnerving.  
  
"Anthony stopped sending you progress reports?" she quipped sipping the last traces of frozen liquid from her glass.  
  
"Can we please have a civil conversation for once?" Jeff stressed not ready for another go round with her.  
  
"What is it you want?" she said pulling no punches.  
  
"I would like your assistance......"  
  
"I think I have given you my fair share of assistance, don't you?" Elizabeth thrust her hand in his face not allowing him to finish his remark. She waved her wedding band in her father's face. "What more can you possibly need me to do?"  
  
Jeff motioned to one of the servants who immediately brought him a scotch and soda. He swallowed down the caustic liquid instantly returning the empty glass as a request for another. "I would like you to stop sulking and put your life to some good use." The alcohol had brought about words that Jeff wouldn't have been able to say otherwise.  
  
"EXCUSE ME?!?!" Elizabeth exploded.  
  
"Elizabeth dear, you know what I mean." He made a vain attempt at stopping his daughter's impending tirade in its tracks.  
  
"I don't think that I do. Why don't you enlighten me with your great wisdom!" She shot back.  
  
"I'm just saying that it's time that you move on don't you think?"  
  
"MOVE ON?!?! Exactly where the hell should I be moving on to? This is my life now. You saw to that!" she spit.  
  
"Elizabeth, that's not fair?!?!"  
  
"FAIR!?!?" Again she cut him off enraged by his caviler attitude. "Do you even hear yourself when you speak? What's not fair is that I am paying for your god damned crimes!" Elizabeth's voice spewed all the venom she held for the man before her. A man she once loved so much.  
  
"What's done is done." Jeff said as if it was a simple matter of closing a door and opening a window. Yet from Elizabeth's perspective it was as if the world opened up and swallowed her whole.  
  
"What do you want?" she questioned him once more wishing he would disappear.  
  
"I would like you to help organize a benefit for the coronary care unit at Chicago Memorial." Jeff watched his daughter's expression closely. He knew how much Elizabeth loved her mother and Jeff Webber intended to use that to his advantage. His wife had succumbed to a rare virus of the heart that caused the muscle tissue to harden to the point that it no longer functioned. Unfortunately a donor heart wasn't found until six months after she had passed away.  
  
"Don't..." Elizabeth stopped him before he could go on. "Don't you dare say what I know you are going to say."  
  
Ignoring her he continued. "What I was going to say was the administration is looking to raise monies to expand the facility. I thought it might be something that you could get behind and support. I'm sure that Anthony would gladly be a major benefactor."  
  
"Did I hear my name?" Anthony Malucci said joining his wife and father in law on the patio.  
  
"Yes, yes you did. I was just telling Elizabeth about this worthy benefit that Chicago Memorial is beginning to organize. It's for the expansion of their coronary care unit. The head of Cardiology is hoping that this will swing some research grants in their direction," Jeff said pointedly looking at Anthony.  
  
"Sounds like a wonderful event for you to get behind dear." Anthony bent down and kissed his wife's cheek. Elizabeth resisted the urge to hurl. "And Jeff," he said turning to the man to his left. "You know that my organization will do our part in making the event successful."  
  
Elizabeth felt the bile climb higher into her throat. The whole scene playing out before her made her want to wretch. If it had been anyone other than the two men standing there it would have sounded like a perfectly normal business conversation, yet it wasn't. It was filled with veiled innuendoes.  
  
"I don't really think that I would be interested," Elizabeth stated to them both as she got up to walk away.  
  
"Where do you think you are going?" Anthony's voice deepened.  
  
"I'd like to take a shower."  
  
"Not until we finish up this little matter with your father."  
  
"There's nothing to finish. I have no intention of being party to this little scheme of yours!" Elizabeth's eyes shot daggers at them. "All the parties and benefits that you throw your money at isn't going to change where the hell it comes from. And it certainly isn't going to get you the respect you are looking for. Sooner or later Tony Malucci, everyone will know what rock you crawled out from under!" Elizabeth smiled as she filled an empty highball glass with scotch.  
  
She watched and waited for the explosion that never came. But the sinister smile that she observed on her husband's face told her that even for her she had crossed over a line she never had before.  
  
"Jeff," Anthony turned to his father in law, "would you please excuse us for a moment?"  
  
"Certainly," he returned knowing he had been left with not other option than to exit the patio quietly.  
  
A wave of guilt overtook him as he padded down the plush carpeted hall. The father in him had wanted to stand up for his baby girl; had wanted to in no uncertain terms tell her bastard of a husband how truly lucky he was to have such a wonderful woman to call his wife, but Jeff Webber knew that would serve neither himself or Elizabeth. He had too much tied up in the Malucci family now to take the chance of angering the man who virtually held the strings of his life not to mention that of his daughter's.  
  
"What the fuck did you think you were accomplishing with that little display of yours!?!" Anthony reached out whipping Elizabeth by the arm forcing her livid eyes to meet his own.  
  
"What display? I was merely stating the facts as I see them," she said calmly.  
  
"You fucking disrespectful bitch!" he said grinding his teeth. "You are my wife and you WILL do what ever the hell I tell you to do!"  
  
"So I have been told."  
  
"I expect you to back your father in this little project of his. Am I making myself clear?" He tightened his grip on her forearm.  
  
Elizabeth felt the tears burning the back of her eyes but she refused them release. She had learned a long time ago never to let him see her cry. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "Crystal!" she countered forcefully removing her arm from his grasp.  
  
"You might as well get started this evening," he said suddenly composed as if there had never been a trace of rage in his voice. "I have a business meeting to attend to tonight and seeing as you will be all alone..."  
  
"When has that ever bothered you before?" she quipped finishing off the amber liquid at the bottom of her glass.  
  
"Need I remind you that if being my wife is too much of a burden – there's the door my dear!" he stated secure in the knowledge that his well placed threat of years gone by held her captive.  
  
"Don't be shocked if one day you come home and find me gone!" she countered with overstated vibrato.  
  
"And don't be shocked when you find yourself on the wrong end of a gun," Anthony said smiling as he walked away from her.  
  
Elizabeth sent the heavy glass in her hand careening at the closing door suddenly feeling more like an animal trapped in a cage than she ever had before.  
  
"Are you alright?" Jeff asked stepping over the fragments of glass in his path.  
  
"Like you fucking care!" she growled.  
  
"I......I'm......." he stammered.  
  
"You're what? You're sorry!?!?!" Elizabeth heard the sound of her own laughter at the absurdity of the thought. "Too little too late!"  
  
"So about the benefit," Jeff continued on with the original reason for his visit without skipping a beat.  
  
"What's in it for you?" she asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jeff returned innocently.  
  
"I know from personal experience that you don't do anything unless you stand to gain something from it." Again Elizabeth flashed her wedding band as a reminder of that fact.  
  
Jeff shifted uneasily before her eyeing the quickly emptying scotch bottle perched on the edge of the bar. He reached for it but pulled his hand back knowing full well that was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place.  
  
"Please be my guest!" Elizabeth shoved the bottle into his hand. That simple action was all Jeff needed to pour himself a generous serving. "So I ask again, what's in this for you?"  
  
"I am hoping to gather enough support to throw my hat into the upcoming senatorial race."  
  
"Oh just wonderful," Elizabeth countered sarcastically. "That's all we need is a Mafia backed senator!"  
  
"Elizabeth that's enough. It's time that you stop rocking the boat so much. It's not good for me and certainly not good for you. Can't you just play the game?"  
  
"You can't be serious?" she asked in astonishment.  
  
"Dead serious!"  
  
"This game you talk about – it's not even one with a prize for me. That is unless you count my staying alive." Elizabeth pointed out.  
  
"That's exactly what I am saying."  
  
"If this is the life I am to have until I am old and gray – well then death would be a relief." With that said Elizabeth left her father alone to ponder that thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jason sat at the head of the table listening as the doorbell sounded again and again. His families' guests were ushered past the closed door toward the awaiting festivities outside in the garden and connecting pool area. The mixture of voices grew louder indicating to him that he wouldn't be able to hide for much longer before Joseph would come looking for him.  
  
He rose from his position making his way to the open window. Pushing aside the shroud of the heavy draperies, Jason had to admit the scene he found there was exquisite. His mother had paid painstaking attention to every last detail of that night's events.  
  
He watched as she and his sister, Emily, milled about the guests as his emotions tore him in so many different directions. There was no denying that he was indeed happy for Zander and Emily but Jason couldn't shake the resentment that prodded at him. Resentment that shouldn't have been directed at the happy couple but more times than not it had been. He was having difficulty masking his emotions and the harsh words that sometimes spilled from his lips hurt those that Jason loved the most, which included his dear sister. It wasn't Emily's fault that the fate chosen for him was the exact opposite of hers nor was it her fault he had erected a wall so deep around himself just so that he could get through each day. That had been his doing and his alone. Jason had hoped in doing that he would somehow bury the pain and emptiness that followed him everywhere.  
  
"There you are," his father's gruff voice invaded his thoughts. "We do have guests." He gestured to the spaces outside of the room Jason had barricaded himself in.  
  
"I know," he returned.  
  
"Your mother and I would it if all of the family was present for the celebration," Joseph said pointedly.  
  
Jason caught his father's not so subtle meaning. This was the part of the evening that was purely for show. This was the side of Joseph Morgan that the society pages would write about. However Jason was far more concerned about the darker side of his father. A side that no doubt would be needed for the sit down that was to take place in a matter of hours.  
  
"I think we need to discuss a few things first," Jason said voicing his weariness.  
  
"Such as?" Joseph questioned.  
  
"The money and merchandise that Anthony Malucci and his crew have been skimming."  
  
"Jason," Joseph said in a fatherly tone. "We will handle Malucci. I have known Rocco for many years. We have always done business peaceably. I am sure that tonight will bring about the same."  
  
"Let's not kid ourselves here," Jason countered. "Face it, Rocco Malucci is on his deathbed for god sakes!"  
  
"Your point?" Joseph Morgan didn't need his son's blatant reminder of his friend's failing health.  
  
"My point is that it's not Rocco that we need to be thinking about. It's Anthony. He's the damn wild card in all this!" Jason sighed exasperated.  
  
"Yes I will agree that Anthony has taken far too many liberties but Jason we all still live the by the same set of rules. And tonight my plan is to reinstitute a few that Rocco's son has seem to have forgotten."  
  
"I think you are making this far too simple. Look at these numbers. Look at how many points we have lost to them already. I seriously doubt that it's going to stop there. He's boosted at least two of our trucks on each of our runs. I think it's time for us to start sending out a few well placed messages don't you?" Jason questioned.  
  
"Out of respect for Rocco," Joseph said. "We must allow him to handle his own family business."  
  
"His family's business is fucking destroying ours!"  
  
"Joseph, Jason," Cassandra's soft voice split the two men. "This is Emily's night. I would appreciate it if you both would remember that." Her eyes darted between father and son knowing that she had interrupted a test of wills. In her many years of marriage to Joseph she had come accustomed to the double meaning of parties held at her home but tonight was different. Tonight was for her daughter.  
  
"We will join you in a moment." Joseph spoke in an even tone.  
  
"See that you do." Cassandra Morgan turned on her heel making her way back to the grounds outside.  
  
"This conversation is over!" Joseph said before his son was able to object. "Your mother is right. This is Emily's night and I intend on sharing it with her."  
  
Jason stood fuming silently as his father exited the room. It amazed him how much stock he but in Rocco Malucci's ability to control his son. Unfortunately Jason had much less faith. He saw Anthony Malucci for the true threat that he was. His only hope was that his father came to the same realization before it was too late.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Elizabeth threw her body against the perfectly arranged bed and suppressed the screams that filled her. She felt her body shudder with the rage that threatened to overtake her. Her mind raced with all the things she had said to Anthony earlier. Why she had even attempted such a bold display with her husband she hadn't a clue. The only reason that blared from beneath her jumbled thoughts was that it was her was of asserting some control over her uncontrollable life.  
  
Without warning the tears that she had been holding at bay since her confrontation with her father and then her husband spilled forth. In the privacy of the silent room, she let loose a flood of emotions – emotions for all those things in her life that were never meant to be.  
  
Absently her eyes were drawn to the massive diamond that sat on the third finger of her left hand. Once it had held such promise of a great life that was to be filled with love and happiness, yet now it was nothing but a reminder that her life was for show and show alone.  
  
The sound of Anthony's voice from outside the room readily caught her attention. Quietly Elizabeth made her way to the double doors that separated their room from the hallway. Easily she turned the knob, giving her just enough line of vision to see Anthony standing there in his tuxedo speaking to Raul.  
  
"Business meeting my ass," she said under her breath suddenly angered by his lie if not a little puzzled by it too. Anthony hadn't made a secret of his many extramarital affairs in the past so his sudden need for deception had Elizabeth's thoughts running wildly.  
  
She looked on as Raul placed Anthony's topcoat over his outstretched arm and did her best not to laugh. For a man who prided himself on his cutthroat ruthlessness, to see such pomp and circumstance now, to Elizabeth was completely ludicrous.  
  
Her eyes followed his retreating frame until he had descended the staircase out of sight. His need for her to believe that this was a business function peaked her interest in what was truly going on. Elizabeth slipped out of their room, anxiously looking over her shoulder as she entered Anthony's private study. The door clicked shut behind her as she made a beeline for Anthony's expansive desk. Elizabeth didn't know what she was even looking for but that didn't stop her from rummaging through the stacks of papers and files lying about. It wasn't until she turned to go that she saw an ivory envelope on the edge of the credenza. The bold script read – 'Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Malucci'  
  
"I wonder who's getting the honor of being Mrs. Malucci tonight?" Elizabeth said sarcastically to the air around her. She slipped her fingers under the flap pulling an ornate invitation from inside.  
  
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Morgan  
Cordially invite you to  
Join them in the celebration  
Of their daughter, Emily Louise Morgan's  
Engagement to Alexander Smith.  
  
Elizabeth resisted the overwhelming urge to crush the paper in the palm of her hand as waves of anger again consumed her. Why all of the sudden was she bothered by all of this? The answer to that question eluded her. More times than not she had done her best to distance herself from these sorts of events, but for whatever reason tonight the notion that Anthony had decided to escort a goomah rather than his wife infuriated her – infuriated her to the point that she was about to make a move she could possibly live to regret. 


	4. Chapter 3

Elizabeth found herself again sitting on the edge of her bed fingering the ivory invitation, still baffled by her own anger. If she was to follow through with the idea forming in her head, Elizabeth knew there would be hell to pay but for reasons unknown at the moment that mattered very little to her. All of the sudden playing by the rules of a game that she had never expected to be involved in in the first place held little appeal for her. Her eyes were drawn to the bold script lettering once more.  
  
"Morgan huh?" Elizabeth said aloud. She had heard that name time and time again. It wasn't a secret in the house how her husband felt about the family that commanded the authority just out of Anthony's reach.  
  
Elizabeth still lacked the knowledge and understanding of the world which she married into to. Most normal people she knew would have steered clear of those that they had such disdain for, yet in her husband's warped one those that hated each other the most were bound together by some code that she just couldn't conceive.  
  
Elizabeth stepped into the silky black evening gown, adjusting the spaghetti straps and smoothing the material. She could hear her heavy breathing in her ears as her nerves began getting the better of her.  
  
"Relax," she said to the image in the mirror. "You are his wife right? The invitation did say 'Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Malucci'." Elizabeth saw the determined face that looked back at her. This whole idea was a natural disaster in the making, but suddenly being a caged animal that Anthony carted around only bringing out when it suited him wasn't a concept that Elizabeth could stand any longer.  
  
Her father's words of doing something with her life rang in her ears. That's exactly what she planned on doing that evening, yet somehow she doubted that's what Jeff Webber had in mind.  
  
She sat down at the dressing table and began adjusting the rhinestone clip that held her massive curls. After a few quick touches, the desired effect had been achieved. Next came the diamond choker, tennis bracelet and earrings. Staring at her reflection, Elizabeth caught the glimpse of tears welling in her eyes. Forcefully she chewed on her lower lip in an effort to put an end to them. Her life had become so bizarre. Here she was making herself beautiful for a man that didn't even know she was alive half the time, to crash an event that he hadn't even wanted her to be present for. How she had sunk this low was beyond all comprehension.  
  
She couldn't let herself think of that now. Slipping the invitation into her beaded bag and her wrap over her shoulders she exited the room.  
  
"Oh you're still here?" she said startled. "I thought you had left," Elizabeth said to her father who was suddenly standing before her.  
  
"Anthony said I should wait. That you would be alone for the evening and we could begin working on the benefit," Jeff's voice sounded perplexed.  
  
"There's been a change in plans," she countered.  
  
"Obviously. What's going on here?" he asked sensing his daughter was up to no good. No matter the distance that had grown between them he could still read her like a book when it came to her mischievous ways. There was no mistaking the lilt in her soft blue eyes when Elizabeth was about to make trouble.  
  
"Nothing. I have a function that I need to attend."  
  
"Elizabeth," Jeff barked back. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"  
  
"Playing the part you sold me into. I am Anthony's wife am I not?" she asked innocently producing the invitation to the Morgan party.  
  
"You can't go to that!"  
  
"The hell I can't. I think it's time that a few of the key players met the real Mrs. Anthony Malucci rather than those tramps that he attempts to pass off as me!" Elizabeth's voice hardened.  
  
"I WON'T LET YOU GO!" Jeff took position in front of the doorway. "I can't let you do this. Do you know what kind of trouble you are going to stir up?"  
  
"That's all you care about isn't it?" she spit. "Your only concern is that I am going to piss off Anthony. Well you know what daddy," her voice dripped with sarcasm at the use of that term. "I not only want to piss him off I hope to embarrass the living shit out of him!"  
  
"Elizabeth – do you have a death wish?" her father gasped.  
  
"Maybe, but all I know is I can't stand to live like this another single second of my life!"  
  
"Your life is NOT as bas as you make it out to be," Jeff countered.  
  
"WHAT?!?!"  
  
"You heard me. You have money to burn, servants to attend to your every need, a massive house......"  
  
"Is that how you look at everything?" she yelled cutting him off. "It's all just things to you isn't it? That's why it was so easy for you to sell not only your soul but mine as well to a man devoid of any morals at all!" Elizabeth struggled against a new wave of tears.  
  
"Baby that's not true."  
  
"The hell it isn't. Get out of my way!" she barked.  
  
"I can't let you do this."  
  
"MOVE!!"  
  
"Elizabeth, please just do what Anthony wants. Just stay here and work on the details of the benefit with me," Jeff pleaded in vain.  
  
"You work on the god damned benefit – MOVE!!!" she yelled pushing him out of the way.  
  
"Elizabeth – Elizabeth wait!" he called after her.  
  
"Manny have my car brought around," she said ignoring her father's urgent requests.  
  
"Elizabeth..."  
  
"You can let yourself out, I'm sure," she countered indicating their conversation was finished.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jason straightened his suit jacket wishing he could shed the confining material for his worn leather jacket and jeans. As much as his father despised his son's penchant for that wardrobe, Jason wore it anyhow except on occasions like this that warranted business attire. He knew he had stalled long enough and that if he didn't make his appearance soon Joseph would come back looking for him again. It was a performance Jason had no inclination of repeating.  
  
He emerged just in time to see Anthony Malucci enter the grand foyer. Jason eyed the raven haired beauty gently holding him by the arm. He knew Malucci was married yet he had never seen him with the same woman more than once, making it difficult to discern just who the real Mrs. Anthony Malucci was.  
  
"I'm sorry sir this party is by invitation only." Jason heard the family butler, Hector, state.  
  
"Do you not know who I am?" Anthony attempted to hold his tongue. "I have been to this house numerous time..."  
  
"Is there a problem Hector?" Jason came forward to squash the scene he knew that Anthony Malucci was capable of making.  
  
"Yeah," Anthony spoke first. "This idiot is giving me grief for forgetting my invitation."  
  
"It's alright Hector," Jason said turning to the butler. "Mr. Malucci is certainly one of our honored guests for this evening." Jason's words and cold stare were not lost on Anthony.  
  
"I'm sorry sir," Hector said apologetically.  
  
"That's not necessary," Jason corrected his servant as he watched Malucci's face brighten with a wicked smile. A smile that Jason couldn't wait to have the pleasure of personally removing.  
  
Jason strategically placed himself so he could observe all that went on around him. In all the times that his family had had functions of this nature, it still unnerved him to have so many of the men that held the potential of destruction for his family aimlessly walking around unattended.  
  
His father had explained it time and time again but Jason couldn't shake the feeling that Joseph Morgan wasn't truly seeing the world as it was now. The respect, honor and loyalty that once had been scared in the past were not things that the up and coming generations put a great deal of stock in. For men like Anthony Malucci it was the money and the power that were the greatest draw and Jason sensed that if need be Malucci would make his own rules to get what he wanted.  
  
Jason's attention was drawn away from Anthony when he saw Rocco Malucci being wheeled on to the patio. The show was nearly ready to begin. Anthony made his way to where his father sat, kissing both his cheeks out of love and respect. Jason felt his stomach roll end over end still thinking that his father was highly overestimating the frail man he saw before him.  
  
"Could I please have everyone's attention," Joseph's booming voice quieted the crowd. "As you all know, tonight we celebrate the engagement of my beautiful daughter, Emily, to Zander." The statement was met with a round of applause. "I wish to propose a toast," he said as he raised his champagne glass. "To my only daughter, may you be as happy in your marriage as I have been in mine. And to you Zander, may you always show my baby the love and respect she so richly deserves."  
  
Jason smiled and raised his glass knowing the double meaning of his father's words. Joseph Morgan would not tolerate his newest son straying from his marriage as many in the business did. Goomahs were something that Joseph never understood nor something he would stand for. To him, marriage was a sacred institution and it was to be treated as such. Jason was certain that Zander had been instructed in such matters, but the words were a pointed reminder.  
  
"Please everyone eat, drink and enjoy yourselves," Cassandra's voice came from behind her husband.  
  
With that being said the party resumed. Joseph caught his son's eye informing him that it was time for the more private party to begin. He snaked his way through the patio informing all those whose presence was required that it was time to assemble.  
  
Jason stood at the entrance to the room while the ten powerful men took their places around the table.  
  
"Good evening gentlemen and thank you all for coming," Joseph said taking his own seat.  
  
"It's a wonderful party," Pedro Alverez said.  
  
"Thank you. It's not every day your daughter gets engaged now is it?" His words were met with a round of easy laughter.  
  
"Let's get down to business shall we?" Jason said anxious to begin.  
  
"My son is right." Joseph eyed him carefully sending Jason a silent warning to tread lightly on this. Joseph was well aware of just how much animosity his son held for what Anthony Malucci had been doing, but for Joseph that didn't negate the fact that Rocco was still to be afforded the respect he had earned. "It has been brought to my attention that there are a few of you at this table who feel the tribute you pay to my family is too high." Joseph let his eyes come to rest on Anthony Malucci who stood directly behind his father.  
  
"Joseph," Carlos Secchi spoke first. "I hope that you know that my crew has no problems with paying our taxes. On the contrary we feel for what is provided us, it is more than fair."  
  
"All of us here feel the same," Dominic Tedesco said looking at the others around the table.  
  
"Not all of us," Anthony now spoke.  
  
"I thought not," Joseph said. "Otherwise there wouldn't have been a need for this meeting of the minds so to speak.  
  
"I think that it's time the Morgan Family distributes the wealth a bit more evenly don't you?" Anthony spoke to Joseph yet never once took his eyes off of Jason. Rocco reached up slapping his son underneath the jaw.  
  
"Your disrespect for Joseph ... it's ...well it's appalling!" The frail man's voice came forth with more force than those in the room expected. "I will not tolerate such a display."  
  
"But you will tolerate them?" Anthony pointed in the direction of the Morgan men. "Picking your pockets clean!"  
  
"We have done nothing of the sort!" Jason shot back. "It's your own stupidity that's forced your organization to lose money! You think by stealing our trucks and withholding money rightfully ours you can somehow make up for your own business shortcomings?"  
  
"ENOUGH Jason!" Joseph growled.  
  
"That's only the beginning...."  
  
"Jason!" His father's coal black eyes shot daggers at him. On instinct Jason retreated to his corner of the room, ire brewing in him still.  
  
"Anthony, I understand that you have issues regarding the way our side of the business is run. But please understand this – I am in no way bound to justify any of my actions to you or anyone in this room for that matter. This meeting was held today as a courtesy and out of the respect I have for your father. Nothing more than that."  
  
Anthony stood silent for the moment his rage growing by leaps and bounds. "You respect my father?" his voice echoed Joseph's words. "Don't make me laugh!"  
  
"Rocco," Joseph said completely ignoring Anthony's comments. "I hope you know that we will not be having another conversation regarding this matter. Should we continue to experience the same troubles – my family will have no other option but to see your family as a threat to ours and handle that accordingly. Are we clear?"  
  
"We are," Rocco Malucci assured. "I will see to it that what is rightfully yours is returned to you and that the tribute paid from this point forward will be doubled.  
  
Those statements had Anthony seeing red. In one fail swoop his father had destroyed all that he was attempting to build. That, coupled with the smug smile plastered on Jason Morgan's face, had Anthony wanting to snap his neck.  
  
"Thank you Rocco. I know I could count on you to settle this."  
  
"It's done. Anthony," he said turning to his son. "I will see any move against the Morgan Family as a move against myself. Don't make yourself a liability for the organization."  
  
What he had just heard was unbelievable to him. Was his own father actually taking sides with the people he saw as the enemy? "Excuse me?" Anthony questioned. "Are you saying what I think you are?"  
  
"Precisely. There is more than enough money for all of us to profit nicely. And it's only right that Joseph and his family receive a larger portion of the pie as they shoulder a great deal more of this life's burdens.  
  
Rocco Malucci had no problem with paying his tribute if it ensured his insulation from the law. Joseph and the extensive arms of his organization protected his crew – all the crews under the Morgan umbrella. Rocco wasn't ready to give up such guardianship for his son's dreams of grandeur.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Elizabeth handed her keys to her BMW to the valet turning to look at the enormous house before her. It had to be twice the size of her own. Suddenly she felt dwarfed, overwhelmed and in awe of its presence all at the same time.  
  
She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat gathering her fleeting courage. Elizabeth presented the invitation to the man standing at the door. Hector eyed her curiously upon reading the name on its embossed surface. He now knew where Anthony Malucci's elusive invitation had gone.  
  
"I was to meet my husband," Elizabeth said wondering exactly what the stately man before her was thinking.  
  
"May I take your wrap?" Hector asked thinking that the woman before him, if she was indeed Anthony Malucci's wife, was in for a rude awakening. Then again maybe it would be he who would get the shock.  
  
"Yes, thank you. You haven't seen my husband have you?" she questioned as her eyes searched the sea of faces just beyond her.  
  
"No I can't say I have seen him since his arrival."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Elizabeth reached for a fluted glass of sparkling champagne from a passing waiter. Many of the faces were familiar to her but the one she was looking for in particular evaded her. It was then she spied the woman who she knew to be one of Vincent's many many female friends but her husband still was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Damn!" she cursed under her breath. Another tray of champagne whirled past her. She grabbed as second glass and began milling through the crowd. She felt like a fish out of water that evening. It wasn't as if she didn't know the drill but tonight her mind was filled with more thoughts than just playing the part of Anthony's pristine, doting wife. Maybe that was due to the fact that there was already someone in that role.  
  
The obvious stares weren't lost on her either. She was sure that her appearance hadn't gone unnoticed. It wouldn't take long for the rumors to be a buzz in the room. That was one thing she found to be the same – Mafia or no Mafia, gossip abounded in all the social circles.  
  
Elizabeth reached for another glass of champagne. She had lost count of how many she had had already. The agony of waiting for Anthony's appearance had her nerves raw. "Congratulations to you both," Elizabeth said almost running into the happy couple as she made her way around the patio for the hundredth time that evening.  
  
"Thank you," Zander said not knowing the person speaking to them.  
  
"You are lucky Emily."  
  
"Lucky?" Emily questioned eyeing Elizabeth cautiously and wondering where this conversation was headed.  
  
"Certainly. You are lucky to have a father who loves you enough not to marry you off for his own personal gain!" Elizabeth was suddenly aware of her words. The effects of the alcohol had loosened her tongue a bit too much.  
  
"Emily, what's she talking about?" Zander asked his future wife.  
  
"I don't know," she lied. Emily Morgan had heard all of the rumors about Anthony Malucci's arranged marriage. As was she aware that he had not escorted the woman standing before them to the party.  
  
"I'm sorry we have never been formally introduced," Elizabeth said in a vain attempt to gain her composure. "I'm Mrs. Anthony Malucci, but please you can call me Elizabeth. Have either of you seen my husband?"  
  
"Sorry we haven't," Emily said.  
  
"Well then I should see if I can find him. Again congratulations to you both. I wish you much happiness."  
  
"Emily, that's not the woman that came in with Malucci," Zander said more than a bit confused.  
  
"I know."  
  
"You know? So who was that?"  
  
"Tony's wife."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You don't really want to know," Emily sighed watching the young woman retreat in the opposite direction. Elizabeth was no older than she herself was, but Emily could see she was far older than her years showed. She turned her head to rest her eyes on the man she loved with all of her heart, unable to imagine what a life without love must be like.  
  
From the bar Elizabeth caught sight of her husband as he rejoined his date. The image fueled the fire in the pit of her stomach. If she herself hadn't been so angry, Elizabeth would have taken notice of the fury written all over Anthony's features.  
  
As his goomah excused herself from the group, Elizabeth took that as her cue and crossed the patio to where Anthony stood. "There you are," she sighed. "I have been looking all over for you this evening," she smiled sweetly slipping her arm through his. 


	5. Chapter 4

Joseph sat back as the men exited the room satisfied with the outcome of events. Yet as he turned to look at his son, Jason's face told a different tale. "I told you that Rocco and I would manage to handle this in a peaceful manner," Joseph said with assuredness.  
  
"Did I miss something?" Jason quipped, "or was it just that you and I were in different rooms?"  
  
"Save the smart remarks for someone deserving of them," Joseph countered sternly.  
  
Jason knew he had angered his father but he had no intention of backing down. This feeling that he had about Anthony Malucci, he couldn't shake. And no matter what he had been witness to minutes before – well Jason just wasn't buying it. "So you really think our problem is solved?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yes – yes I do."  
  
"I wish I had your confidence."  
  
"Rocco will handle his son," Joseph said as though he was reading his son's private thoughts.  
  
"You can't be serious?!?! I know you and Rocco go way back but come on. The man's practically dying for god sakes!"  
  
"So you keep reminding me."  
  
"What makes you think that the minute that his father is barely cold in the ground that Anthony isn't gong to come gunning for what he thinks rightfully belongs to him?"  
  
"I don't."  
  
"YOU DON'T!" Jason echoed. "Then what the hell was this little show all about?"  
  
"It was done, my son," Joseph sighed, taken aback at how suddenly shortsighted his successor appeared to be. "as a show of good faith to the other families. Should there come a time when war is imminent...."  
  
"Which you know damn well it will be!" Jason interjected.  
  
"I need the other families to align with us," Joseph continued as if Jason had never interrupted. "I couldn't let them think that I acted without considering every other alternative."  
  
"So what, you think that they all are going to make nice now?" Jason asked sarcastically.  
  
"What the hell has gotten into you Jason?" his father questioned. "We have used this strategy before and you have never ever been this obstinate."  
  
"I don't trust Malucci that's all. I just don't think that he's going to roll over and play dead just because his father commands it."  
  
"You heard Rocco yourself. Any action against our family would appear to be an act against Rocco himself...."  
  
"You really believe that? You believe that Rocco would actually take out his own flesh and blood!?!?"  
  
"It doesn't matter what I," he stressed, "believe. It only matters what Vincent believes."  
  
"I still think we are asking for trouble," Jason pointed out again. "I don't put anything past Anthony Malucci."  
  
"Neither do I. Why is it that you are assuming that I plan on sitting on my hands waiting for him to strike us again?"  
  
"Aren't you?"  
  
"Hardly not. If Anthony can't be trusted to keep his word to his father – well then," Joseph smiled his own sinister smile. "What he finds waiting for him in the next truck he thinks should belong to him – he will have wished that his father's men had gotten to him first." Jason raised his brow questioning. "Those few well placed threats you spoke of – they will be there son but only when the timing is right and only when they serve us. Do you understand what I am telling you?"  
  
"I think so," Jason smiled finally getting a clearer picture of his father's actions and motives. Joseph Morgan has basically given Anthony Malucci just enough rope to hang himself and Jason certainly liked the image that thought conjured up.  
  
"We better be getting back to the party before your mother comes looking for us again," Joseph said half joking half serious.  
  
Just as the pair made their way outside, the sound of a loud commotion met their ears.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Anthony had to look twice at the face standing before him. He needed to readjust his eyes much in the same way needed to be done when going from complete darkness to the totally bright light of day. He hoped in doing so the image before him would disappear. That wasn't to be the case though.  
  
"Not going to offer your wife a drink?" Elizabeth cooed taking great pleasure in Anthony's discomfort.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he whispered through his pasted smile.  
  
"This is a party is it not? And if I read the invitation correctly it was addressed to Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Malucci. I am still your wife am I not?" She tried to hide a smile while those around them eyed her curiously.  
  
"You said something about wanting a drink," Anthony asked pulling her in the direction of the bar. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!?!" he barked as he made his way to the less crowded end of the pool area. There were people everywhere and Anthony suddenly felt like a caged animal in a carnival sideshow.  
  
"I told you," Elizabeth returned innocently.  
  
"Don't give me that bull shit! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!" He attempted to remain calm but that was one emotion that was failing him fast.  
  
"Bull shit? You want to talk about bull shit?" Elizabeth spat. "This looks like a hell of a fucking business meeting!"  
  
"What do you give a damn?"  
  
The question stunned her silent. What did she really care for she wondered. At that exact moment Elizabeth didn't even know what had propelled her there in the first place.  
  
"Anthony?" his date questioned as she made her way to where he and his wife stood.  
  
"That's why I'm here!" Elizabeth shouted. "Don't you think it's time people knew who your TRUE wife is?"  
  
Anthony's eyes darted between the woman that carried his name and one that on that was his plaything for the evening. Both women stared at him with piercing eyes, and image that he was sure wasn't lost on the quickly forming crowd.  
  
"Anthony?" his date questioned again. "Who is this woman?" Her eyes trailed up and down Elizabeth's slender body.  
  
"Yes, honey why don't you tell her EXACTLY who I am!" Elizabeth barked.  
  
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Anthony questioned Elizabeth again through clenched teeth.  
  
"I think the lady is waiting for an answer." Elizabeth enjoyed for once having the upper hand. The fact that she would pay for it later hadn't come to play yet in her mind.  
  
"DON'T PUSH ME ELIZABETH!" he warned.  
  
"Anthony?" the other young woman's voice spoke again.  
  
"Well it looks like the cat's got my husband's tongue," Elizabeth smiled with an outstretched hand. "Let me introduce myself. I am Elizabeth Malucci, Anthony's wife."  
  
"You are married?" Elizabeth could tell from the look of sheer surprise on the other woman's face that Anthony had neglected to mention his marital status.  
  
"Yes – that's right he's married!" Elizabeth bellowed waving her diamond in the girl's face. The sudden need to react this way threw Elizabeth into a bit of a tizzy. It was almost as though something inside her snapped.  
  
"ELIZABETH!" Anthony reached for her arm as if it would be a way to silence her. Yet looking around he thought better of the idea. There were far too many people now watching for him to risk the wrath that his actions would incur.  
  
Jason's eyes came to rest on the three people at the far end of the pool. Even from the fair distance he was standing he could hear their heated exchange. He suppressed a laugh as he watched and listened to whom he had come to finally understand was Anthony's wife.  
  
"You are married?" he heard Anthony's date ask in horror.  
  
"Damn right he's fucking married!" Jason watched as the beautiful young woman thrust the fist sporting a heavy diamond in the other's face just missing striking her by inches.  
  
"YOU BASTARD!" The other woman screeched pushing her way passed him with enough force to send Anthony Malucci headlong into the awaiting pool of water.  
  
Jason nearly doubled over in a fit of hysterics as Anthony splashed and sputtered in the deep end of the pool, that was until he saw Anthony emerge and make a mad dash for his wife who was in her own state of laughter.  
  
Elizabeth was unable to contain her laughter. Just watching him sputtering in the water was poetic justice for her.  
  
"YOU FUCKING WHORE!" he screamed at the goomah's retreating back. "AND YOU!" he bellowed again pointing at his wife. "YOU ARE GOING TO BE SORRY YOU EVER THOUGHT TO CROSS ME!" His voice was threatening as he pulled himself up the ladder.  
  
Jason and his men pushed their way through the crowded patio. Enough damage had been done to Emily and Zander's party as it was already. He motioned for Johnny to remove Mrs. Malucci from the patio area while he and others would deal with Anthony.  
  
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Jason questioned all the while holding back his own pompous smile as water dripped from Malucci's tuxedo. "This is my family's party and you disrespect us by airing your dirty laundry here?"  
  
"Mind your own fucking business, Morgan!" Anthony countered wiping the water from his face.  
  
"You just made it my business!" Jason said resisting the urge to toss him in the water all over again.  
  
"Jason?" Joseph and Cassandra said joining their son.  
  
"Problem taken care of. No need to worry. Go back and enjoy yourselves. All of you." Jason now said to the on lookers. "Please, go enjoy the rest of the party."  
  
Cassandra and Joseph were the only two to remain. "Son?" Joseph questioned again; sure that Anthony's unruly display only furthered Jason's dislike for the man.  
  
"I can handle this one. Not to worry." Jason smiled. "Besides it appears that Mr. Malucci was just on his way out. I am sure the Max can show him the door."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere without my wife!" Anthony countered forcefully.  
  
"Seems to me that the woman you claimed to be your wife is long gone. Might I suggest that you try catching up with her?" Jason half laughed.  
  
"FUCK YOU MORGAN! I am not leaving here without Elizabeth......"  
  
"Anthony," a voice came from behind them, a voice belonging to his father. "I think it's time we should be going, before you can disgrace our family any further."  
  
"Father... ..."  
  
"NOW!!" Rocco Malucci cut his son short. "Jason," Rocco motioned for the youngest Morgan son to come forward, once Anthony was out of earshot.  
  
"Yes?" Jason bent down.  
  
"I think it would be prudent if my daughter in law wasn't to come home tonight. I believe my son needs some time to cool off, as I need some time to instruct him in the proper way things are handled."  
  
"Do you think that is wise? I mean is she doesn't show up at home isn't that just going to piss him off all the more?" Jason questioned thoughts of just what Anthony Malucci was capable of flashing through his mind.  
  
"You don't worry about a thing. I can handle my son. Just be sure that Elizabeth is not brought home this evening. I will be in touch.  
  
Jason watched, as Rocco was wheeled away wondering all the time what he was supposed to do with Anthony's wife. 


	6. Chapter 5

Anthony stewed in his own anger as he rode in silence alongside his father, the earlier events replaying again and again in his mind. The idea that his wife and some whore had gotten the better of him that evening enraged him to the extreme. Not to mention that the entire scene had taken place in front of Joseph and Jason Morgan. That only fanned the flames of the fire.  
  
The long stretch limousine stopped for the heavy iron gates that encased the Malucci compound to swing open, giving them entry. Anthony stole a sideways glance at his father, who hadn't spoken a word to him since leaving the party in haste, knowing that the disgust he felt for his son and his actions was written all over the older man's face.  
  
Anthony attempted to aid Rocco into his wheelchair but the elder Malucci's outstretched hand stopped him in his tracks. He knew for sure now that he was in for a lecture that he had heard one too many times already.  
  
"Anthony," Rocco's voice was hard. "That display of yours tonight......."  
  
"Can't I at least get out of this wet suit?" Anthony cut him off.  
  
"Think of it as a reminder of what an ass you made of yourself tonight – not to mention the family as a whole!" Rocco shot back. "What were you thinking?"  
  
"What?" Anthony didn't understand.  
  
"Don't play fucking stupid with me!" Again the frail man's voice boomed.  
  
"Everything was fine until Elizabeth showed her face!"  
  
"EVERYTHING WAS NOT FINE! You should feel damn lucky that Joseph even took the time to discuss your little indiscretion. If roles were reversed I don't think I would have done the same!"  
  
"SEE!" Anthony said as if his father had made a miraculous statement. "That's why you deserve to sit at the head of the table, not Joseph Morgan. You would know how to keep things under control!" Anthony did his best to sway Rocco to his own version of the way he felt things should have been.  
  
"Make no mistake son," Rocco's voice was steely. "I will control this situation."  
  
"Now that's what I have wanted to hear all along," Anthony smiled, misreading the meaning of his father's words.  
  
"I don't think so!" the older man countered.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I meant every word I said this evening. If you so much as even think about crossing on to Morgan turf, the action taken against you will be swift and severe!"  
  
"But ..."  
  
"NO! There will be no buts this time. I have had more than enough of you. Son or no son, I will not let you ruin what it has taken me years to build. That includes the lucrative business that I have made with Joseph Morgan."  
  
"MORGAN AND HIS CREW ARE PRACTICALLY RAPING US!" Anthony shot back.  
  
"Hardly!"  
  
"You just fucking doubled our tribute and he accepted it. You don't call that raping?"  
  
"No. I call it adjusting for the wrong my son has committed. You, for one, should be grateful that Joseph took the offer."  
  
"WHAT!?!" Anthony's anger exploded again.  
  
"You heard me. You could just have easily ended up at the bottom of the Chicago River, hell maybe even worse."  
  
"So what you are saying is that I have to sit back and take the pittance that Morgan and his father throw my way?!" The thought of that furthered angered Anthony.  
  
"YES!"  
  
"This can't be happening. You can't be serious. We should be running the fucking organization not kowtowing to the likes of Joseph and Jason Morgan!"  
  
"ENOUGH! Do you understand me Anthony? I will not tolerate any more of your games. That includes you blatant display of women that parade in and out of your life."  
  
"Excuse me?" Anthony put his hand to his as if to feign being deaf. "The king of the goomahs is telling me that it's not longer proper to have them?" Anthony stifled a laugh.  
  
"There is a time and a place for everything and tonight was certainly not the place to show up with any woman other than your beautiful wife."  
  
Again Anthony did his best not to laugh. Yes, Elizabeth was indeed beautiful but she hadn't been his wife, not in the way he needed her to be in quite some time.  
  
"I know the reason behind your marriage to Elizabeth. I know that you thought that it would buy you some sort of nobility. Sorry to say that the way you are handling the situation, you will never achieve what you are looking for."  
  
"Exactly what are you trying to say?" Anthony questioned.  
  
"I am saying that if you want to be respected then you have to stop playing the thug. You want what Joseph Morgan has then you have to learn to play by a different set of rules. You can't buy respect, not in the lawful world and you certainly can't buy it in ours. And you most definitely won't get it by marrying into a respected family. YOU HAVE TO EARN IT! And until such time as you figure out just how to do that, well then you are a liability to me."  
  
"So you have said!" Anthony tried to hide the sarcasm in his voice.  
  
"It's about time that you started respecting the institution of marriage as well. What you said about me was indeed true, but I was never so openly disrespectful to you mother as you have been to Elizabeth. Tonight she should have been the woman on your arm, not your latest conquest."  
  
"Yeah right! Elizabeth doesn't give a damn what I do or who I do it with!"  
  
"I don't believe that to be true. I certainly saw an angry young woman tonight who had been pushed to her breaking point. I think you are lucky you ended up in the pool before she had the chance to get at you!" Rocco smiled for the first time during their entire conversation.  
  
"Well she will think better of it the next time." Anthony's tone was cryptic.  
  
"I would rethink that if I were you son. The one thing I will not stand for is action taken against any woman. So understand this and understand it well. If I so much as think that you have brought harm to your wife, for something that was of your own making, I will castrate you myself! Am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Crystal!" Anthony said biting his tongue.  
  
"Good. I am going to retire for the evening. Might I suggest that you do the same? I believe you could use the time to think about all that we have discussed here this evening. Oh yes, by the way," Rocco said turning back to look at his son. "I felt it was better to have Elizabeth away from the house this evening, just in case you chose not to heed my words."  
  
Anthony stared at his father's retreating back in disbelief. Each new statement that fell from his lips compounded the facts that he already knew to be true in his mind. Those being that he would be destined to play second fiddle to the Morgan Family for as long as his father was alive, and to add insult to injury, his wife now had a place before him in his father's heart as well.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Elizabeth mindlessly paced the four corners of the room while Johnny stood watch at the door. On one hand she had been thankful at being whisked away from the scene she had created, but on the other Elizabeth was feeling more like a prisoner than ever. At least in her own home there weren't guards at the door.  
  
"I'm sorry but you need to stay here until Mr. Morgan arrives," Johnny said as Elizabeth reached to his side for the knob of the door.  
  
"What?" she returned in shock knowing she truly was a prisoner now.  
  
"Mr. Morgan's instructions were to make you comfortable until a time when he could join you. Can I have one of the servants bring you something?" he asked politely.  
  
"Make me comfortable?" Elizabeth parroted.  
  
"Yes. Those were my orders. Can I have something brought to you?"  
  
"NO!" The thunderous sound of her voice surprised Johnny. "The only thing I would like is to leave NOW!" Again she made an attempt at the door.  
  
"I'm sorry Mrs. Malucci but that isn't possible."  
  
"Not possible?" Elizabeth's voice was mixed with anger and fear, thinking that maybe all that she had heard whispered about the Morgan Family could be true.  
  
"No."  
  
Elizabeth returned to her pacing, seeing that the large man wasn't about to relinquish his post. The reality of exactly what she had done came crashing down on her. The pleasure that she received in seeing Anthony land in the pool would be short lived. Elizabeth knew full well that she had pushed her husband too far that night.  
  
Still perplexed as to why she had actually even done it, Elizabeth looked out of the many windows in the room. The night sky was a glow with stars as far as the eye could see. 'What a wonderful night to be celebrating an engagement,' she thought. Her mind wandered to the evening of her own engagement party. Not expense was spared and she had at the time fully believed that she was marrying her very own Prince Charming. What a slap in the face it had been when she came to understand all of it was just a smoke screen. A smoke screen for her father to hide behind, along with Anthony. "AARRHH!" Elizabeth let out a frustrated scream as the alcohol began wearing off.  
  
"Mrs. Malucci?" Johnny questioned.  
  
"Nothing." Elizabeth brushed him off.  
  
Jason silently entered the room indicating to Johnny that he was no longer needed. He stood with eyes trained on her still form at the window. The silky black material of her evening gown clung to her petite frame while the thigh high slit exposed her supple skin. Jason shook his head in an effort to remember whom she was married to, but that was a difficult task at best.  
  
"Mrs. Malucci," he said crossing the room to where she stood.  
  
"Oh," she jumped.  
  
"I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you."  
  
"You didn't," she countered harshly not wanting to show any vulnerability.  
  
"I'm Jason Morgan......"  
  
"Jason Morgan? You're Jason Morgan?" she repeated. The man that stood in front of her wasn't at all like the image she imagined. For all of Anthony's horrific words she had expected to see some vile monster, but rather an incredibly handsome man confronted her.  
  
"Yes," he said. "You are surprised?" he asked attempting to read her expression.  
  
"No...yes..." she tried to catch her breath. "Does this mean I am free to go now?"  
  
"Not quite."  
  
"What?" So much for the idea that his attractive face and piercing blue eyes made him any different than the man she was married to.  
  
"For all concerned, don't you think it would be wise to give Anthony some time to cool off?"  
  
Elizabeth knew that she could have given him days to cool down and it wouldn't have made any difference. She had stepped over that imaginary line and for that she would pay. "I don't really think it matters."  
  
"Well your father in law feels differently. Rocco asked that you be kept away from the house this evening..."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"He said that he needed the time alone with his son. I feel that I must agree with him..."  
  
"Oh really? Why would you care?" Elizabeth looked at him unsure of his true motives.  
  
"To be honest with you Mrs. Malucci...."  
  
"Elizabeth please," she corrected him not needing a further reminder of who her husband was.  
  
"Elizabeth, to be honest with you, I don't. But I do know that my father respects Rocco Malucci and for that reason I intend to abide by his wishes. Not to mention that I think it's in your best interests to steer clear of your husband at least for the evening."  
  
"Oh what a gentleman you are!" Elizabeth quipped yet her sharp tongue was only a mask for a sudden flood of excitement that filled her.  
  
"Anthony is gone so if you would like to rejoin the party," Jason motioned toward the awaiting door.  
  
"I don't think so." The idea of being a spectacle again wasn't something Elizabeth was in a hurry to do. In fact she wished she had never done it in the first place.  
  
"I assure you, Mrs. Malu...I mean Elizabeth, you are quite safe in my home, no matter what your husband might have lead you to believe."  
  
"What are you trying to say Mr. Morgan?" Elizabeth felt the sudden urge to defend the man she was married to, no matter what a sham her marriage might have been.  
  
"I think you know what I am saying. I can't believe that you don't know of our rivalry and severe dislike for one another, however that in no way translates to you. Not to mention the fact that my own father would never allow any harm to come to a woman. He's of the old school."  
  
"Meaning?" Elizabeth questioned.  
  
"That women go untouched, no matter what their crimes."  
  
"And you? How do you feel about women Mr. Morgan?" Elizabeth heard the onset of seduction in her tone.  
  
"I agree with him."  
  
"So then what is my crime?" Elizabeth said continuing to play.  
  
"You mean besides marrying Anthony Malucci?" Jason laughed. "Or the fact that you picked a rival family's house in which to publicly humiliate him? I really couldn't say."  
  
"Would you like to find out?" Elizabeth brought herself closer to him.  
  
Jason felt her breath on his cheek as she spoke. It peaked something in him he hadn't expected, something he needed to squelch immediately not only for her safety but his as well. "What I would like is for you to rejoin the party."  
  
"I would prefer not to make myself anymore of a side show attraction than I already have," Elizabeth said sobriety getting the better of her.  
  
"Understood," he smiled. "Let me make my apologies to my family and then we can find you somewhere safe to wait out the storm."  
  
Elizabeth stared at Jason as he exited the room, thoughts running wild through her mind. "Two can play this game," she smiled as another plan formed in her head.  
  
From the passenger seat Elizabeth stole sideways glances at Jason Morgan as he drove deeper into the heart of Chicago. There was very little she could do to stop from staring at him. It was hard to tell if it was because she couldn't reconcile the man who had spoke with her and the man Anthony made him to be, or if it was just the fact that he held such a sexual allure. Either way, Elizabeth found her eyes fixated on his strong profile.  
  
"Where are we going?" Elizabeth finally spoke.  
  
"To The Drake Hotel."  
  
"Excuse me?" she said pretending to be disturbed by the remark.  
  
"I have a penthouse there, for when I do business in the city. Nothing more," he assured. The last thing he needed was another complication in his life, especially if it was one that was tied in any way to Anthony Malucci. However Jason had a difficult time not imagining what it would be like to have her supple skin touch his own.  
  
"Evening Mr. Morgan,' the attendant said as the darkened driver's side window came down to reveal his presence.  
  
"Ronald," Jason returned as he opened his door and handed the man his keys. "Elizabeth, would you mind waiting for me over there?" he questioned. "I need to speak with Ronald in private." Not knowing what to say she complied with his request all the while looking at him over her shoulder.  
  
Once Jason felt it was safe to speak, he gave Ronald orders that his car was to be parked in its usual hiding place and no one was to know he had been there that evening.  
  
"Yes sir," the man said as he had done on numerous occasions before.  
  
Satisfied that Elizabeth would be out of harm's way for the evening, he joined her at the curb. "Shall we go inside?" Jason asked.  
  
"I suppose."  
  
The rode in silence as far as the elevator would take them. The confined space of the car had both Jason and Elizabeth uneasy, suddenly overly aware of each other. The shrill ring of Jason's cell phone broke the obvious tension in the air.  
  
"Morgan......I understand......yes I will be sure that I wait until mid morning......no, he will understand......"  
  
Elizabeth stood listening to the one sided conversation that Jason was having. In all the years of being married to Anthony she still was intrigued by the goings on around her, but she would have been better off leaving them all alone.  
  
"Who was that?" she asked as he flipped the phone closed.  
  
"Rocco...."  
  
"My father in law?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He wanted me to know that you weren't to be delivered home until mid morning. He will be sure that Anthony is out of the house by that time."  
  
"Have me delivered? What? Am I some UPS shipment?" Elizabeth was all of the sudden angry and began to rethink her grand plan.  
  
"Not quite."  
  
"Then what?" she pressed.  
  
"I believe that Rocco is only looking out for you. You can't think that your husband," Jason purposely used that word again to remind himself that Elizabeth was indeed a married woman. "wouldn't be ticked off at what you did tonight."  
  
"What I did?" she retorted angrily. "I wasn't the one at a party with another man!"  
  
"I understand that, but you have been the block more than once and needless to say, Tony ole boy is less than discreet when it comes to his roving eye." Jason announced as he led her down a narrow corridor to yet another elevator.  
  
Slipping a coded key card into its designated slot the doors before them glided open. Jason's pointed remark regarding her husband hit home for Elizabeth as the doors closed to reveal a mirrored surface before them. She was forced to stare straight ahead but even in doing that, there was no escaping his reflection looking back at her.  
  
She studied him closely, wondering if he was doing the same. Elizabeth wanted to stop the thoughts that invaded her head, wanted to remain true to the agenda in her mind, but the man standing alongside of her was making that a difficult task at best.  
  
"After you," Jason spoke as the elevator came to a stop again.  
  
Elizabeth stepped through the doors into the most lavish surroundings that she had ever seen. She had thought the Morgan house had been grand, yet this, well this was breathtaking. Immediately she was drawn to a bank of windows that looked out over the Magnificent Mile, which was alive with lights and people enjoying the nightlife.  
  
Jason absently watched as she made her way from room to room, thinking how beautiful she was and what a fool Anthony Malucci was for not seeing it. Without realizing it, he had followed her to the master bedroom. There, as she stood bathed in the moon's full light, Jason fought hard against the urges that filled him.  
  
As if feeling his presence, Elizabeth turned and looked at him. "This is a spectacular view of Lake Michigan."  
  
"I know." Was all he was able to utter.  
  
"Do you come here often?" she asked in a vain attempt to make small talk.  
  
"Only when it's needed," he returned vaguely. "I know you weren't anticipating an overnight stay, so if you would like, I could call and have something brought up for you to sleep in. Something a bit more comfortable."  
  
"That would be nice. Thank you."  
  
He took the opportunity of making the call to front desk as a way to gather his scattered thoughts. The idea of spending the remainder of the evening alone with her, Malucci's wife or not, had Jason treading in some uncharted waters.  
  
Upon his return, Elizabeth was still standing looking out over the dark lake. He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, wishing he had never agreed to this. Why hadn't he just gotten Johnny or one of the other men to stay with her? Why hadn't he just been smart enough to keep her at the house? There were enough rooms there for a small army to get lost in. Why did he feel that he had to personally see to her safety?  
  
Jason tried to fool himself into believing that he was doing it out of his father's respect for Rocco Malucci, but if he listened closely to the weak voice coming from the depths of his heart, Jason knew the answers to all those very pointed questions.  
The way Elizabeth had taken on Anthony that evening may have not been the smartest thing he had ever witnessed, but there was no denying that it had taken guts on her part. His answers were a mixture of admiration and his sudden unmistakable need to be close to her.  
  
"Here you go," he finally said laying the robe and other things on the bed.  
  
"Thank you. It really is beautiful here. I could stand here all night just watching the water."  
  
"Well, it's getting late. I think that I will turn in. Do you need anything before I do?" he asked knowing that he needed to distance himself from her.  
  
"No, I should be fine. Isn't this your room?" she questioned looking around. "I mean, don't you want to sleep in here?"  
  
"That's fine. I will take one of the other rooms. You seem to be enjoying the view, so you might as well keep the room."  
  
"Thank you." Elizabeth eyed him curiously. In so many ways he was the antithesis of Anthony, yet she couldn't stop herself from remembering that this was how it had begun with him as well. She couldn't allow herself to get wrapped up in some fantasy world. She needed to stay focused, needed to follow through with the outline of the plan in her head. Why wasn't that going to be as easy as she once thought it to be? 


	7. Chapter 6

Elizabeth opened her eyes squinting in the bright morning sunlight. The windows that provided spectacular views of Lake Michigan last night were now flooding the expansive room with light of the breaking day. Bringing her eyes in focus she came to remember where exactly she was – Jason Morgan's private penthouse. It was still a difficult concept for Elizabeth to conceive. Here she was being protected from her own husband by his nemesis no less. What a bizarre twist of fate.  
  
Slipping the silken robe over her shoulders she made her way to the windows once again. Even at this early hour the lake was abuzz with activity. Mindlessly she watched jet skis, sailboats and speedboats pulling the occasional skier parade across the lake. If her life could have just been that simple she wished.  
  
The rustling from the other side of the closed door caught her attention. Jason – she thought to herself, as a smile she had no control over claimed the features of her face. Without hesitation, Elizabeth reached for the doorknob of the only thing separating them, thinking that for just a little while longer she would indulge herself in the fantasy her mind had created the previous night.  
  
"Jason," she called, as she walked deeper into the living room. "Jason?" Elizabeth's voice was more questioning the second time she spoke his name. An eerie sensation filled her as wild thoughts danced in her head. Was it possible that Jason and Anthony had been in on this together? Could all of Jason's noble talk about how women were to be protected just have been a ruse, a set up for Anthony to handle her privately? Her anxious voice called again, "JASON!"  
  
"Mrs. Malucci?" The man who had ushered her from the patio last night appeared before her.  
  
"Where is Jason?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"Mr. Morgan had business this morning. He asked that I escort you home."  
  
"Oh," Elizabeth attempted to hide her disappointment.  
  
"I was told the kitchen is at your disposal. Would you like something special for breakfast?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Should you change your mind, just ring for room service. Mr. Morgan left instructions that you were his special guest and were to be treated as such."  
  
"Thank you – I think," Elizabeth said under her breath.  
  
"Coffee?" Johnny asked raising the silver pot in the air.  
  
"No thank you."  
  
Elizabeth crossed the room to the windows that looked out on the Magnificent Mile. The shops below showed signs of the start of what surely would be a busy day filled with tourists flooding through their doors. The words of her being considered Jason's special guest repeated in her mind. If this had been a different time or if she had been a different person, those words would have meant something to her, but that couldn't be. She had seen too much of the world Anthony, as well as Jason, lived in to think that they meant the same to them as they could have to her.  
  
"Are you sure I can't offer you some breakfast?" Johnny asked.  
  
"No, thank you," Elizabeth countered as she reached for the pot and poured herself a cup of coffee finally. "Exactly when will I be allowed to go home?"  
  
"Mr. Morgan said that Capo Malucci isn't expecting you until just before noon."  
  
Elizabeth felt her blood boil as she listened to her life being planned as if she wasn't even a part of it but rather a mere spectator. "And my car?"  
  
"I believe that it was returned to the Malucci Estate earlier."  
  
"Efficient aren't we?" Elizabeth mocked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So regarding my taking a shower, has the good Mr. Morgan handled those provisions as well?" Elizabeth quipped.  
  
"Actually, I think he did have a change of clothes sent up from you from one of the shops in the lobby," Johnny smiled, knowing certainly that his statement added fuel to her already bright fire.  
  
"Oh did he?"  
  
"Yes, if they don't meet with your approval, I am sure that we could have something else delivered," Johnny said in his most accommodating tone.  
  
"AAHHH!" Elizabeth groaned leaving the room. Johnny heard the hard slam of the door as Elizabeth left him.  
  
Elizabeth emerged from the master bedroom an hour later to find the man who had replaced Jason the night before sitting exactly where she had left him. He looked up at her then down as his watch then headed for the elevator.  
  
"After you, Mrs. Malucci," Johnny said as the shiny doors slid open.  
  
Elizabeth was again forced to look at her reflection in the mirrored surface. She saw herself in the skirt and blouse that Jason had sent up for her, amazed that both fit her perfectly. That thought had crazy ideas spinning around in her mind again. Thoughts that would have been better if they had come in another time and place.  
  
Johnny wound the car through the busy Chicago streets while Elizabeth looked at the people aimlessly going about their business, in the hope of getting lost in her surroundings. But that never happened. Her mind was fixated on the disappointment that continued to eat away at her when she realized that Jason was gone without so much as a goodbye. Why it had affected her so deeply, she didn't know. That emotion hadn't been part of her grand scheme, indulging some little girl fantasy – she didn't have time for that. Besides no matter how differently Anthony and Jason may have been dressed, they were cut from the same cloth. And for Elizabeth that spelled disaster all the way around.  
  
Elizabeth looked over her shoulder, as the car she had just vacated grew smaller in the distance before entering the Malucci mansion.  
  
"Good morning, Mrs. Malucci," Helena said as Elizabeth stepped into the foyer. "Your father is on the terrace. He wishes to speak with you."  
  
"Elizabeth, I think we should talk first." She turned to see her father in law.  
  
"If you would like. Tell my father I will be with him momentarily," she said turning back to Helena.  
  
"I trust you were comfortable last night?" Rocco Malucci began as they were left alone in his study.  
  
"Where's Anthony?" she questioned still a little more than apprehensive.  
  
"Attending to some business."  
  
"The business of planning my unfortunate accident?" Elizabeth returned stoic.  
  
"Not if he knows what's good for him."  
  
"Excuse me?" Elizabeth did little to hide her stunned expression.  
  
"My dear," Rocco said softly. "I am well aware that this is less than a stellar marriage. As I am aware that my son has a taste for one too many goomahs. For that I am truly sorry."  
  
"You're sorry?"  
  
"I won't say that I haven't had my share as well. Maybe I wasn't the best influence, but Anthony has made his exploits an art form all his own. I am sorry that you are the one paying the price."  
  
"I don't think I understand." This wasn't at all what she had expected.  
  
"All you need to know is that Anthony will never humiliate you the way he did last night. I have seen to that. And you also will not have to worry about his retaliation for your showing up at the Morgan estate."  
  
"Why – why are you doing this?"  
  
"I know that you were conned into this marriage by my son. Sad to say he conned me as well. I just want you to know that all of the Malucci men aren't as callous, cold and calculating as my son."  
  
Without warning Elizabeth got up from her seat and kissed Rocco on his cheek feeling for the first time that she had an ally inside these walls.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jason retrieved his car keys from Ronald and made his way to where he knew his Porsche would be. He slid into the leather driver's seat and let out a heavy sigh that was a mixture of relief and frustration. The previous night's hours ticked past at a snail's pace, leaving Jason with nothing more to do than watch them and think about Elizabeth lying in the adjacent room. Finally when he could no longer stand the tension that tortured him, Jason summonsed Johnny to relieve him, something he should have done from the very start.  
  
So why was it that suddenly being rid of his temptation didn't vanquish her image from his mind's eye? Jason let out another heavy sigh running his hands over his face wondering exactly why a woman married to his rival had such a hold on him without barely doing a thing more than putting Anthony Malucci in his place.  
  
Jason felt the grin cross his face as he again saw Anthony fall headlong into his pool. The laughter that hadn't been able to escape him at the time it had happened now sprang forth with vengeance, until Jason felt the tears drip from his lashes. Even through his enjoyment of the memory, Jason couldn't help but question if Rocco could really control his son as he had alluded to. From what Jason had seen of Anthony Malucci, he was anything but controllable. He resisted the strong urge to turn his car around and take Elizabeth to the Malucci Estate himself. Looking in the rearview mirror, he could still see The Drake Hotel looming in the distance. Each block carried him further away from Elizabeth. Whether he liked it or not, that was the way it had to be.  
  
"Jason?" Joseph's voice startled him.  
  
"Morning."  
  
"What's this all about?" Joseph's voice was just on the edge of being accusatory when he saw his son saunter through the front door in the same suite he had been wearing the night before.  
  
"I was keeping the peace."  
  
"Excuse me?" Joseph was more than a bit baffled by the remark.  
  
"I explained to Emily and Zander last night that I needed to take care of some family business...."  
  
"What family business? And why am I the last one to know?"  
  
"I was cleaning up one of Malucci's messes again."  
  
"WHAT?!?!"  
  
"It's not what you are thinking."  
  
"Then do explain!" Joseph walked into his study motioning for Jason to follow.  
  
"Well after the little scene last night between Anthony, his wife and I guess what you would have to call his latest fling, Rocco decided that it would be better for all those concerned if his daughter in law were to stay away from the house for the evening."  
  
"And exactly how do you fit into the picture?" Joseph raised his brow questioningly.  
  
"Rocco asked that I look after her. So I acted in a way that I thought you would want me to."  
  
"And exactly how was that?"  
  
"I kept the peace," Jason repeated.  
  
"Somehow I don't believe Anthony will be seeing it in that manner."  
  
"Okay, let me get this straight," Jason said frustrated. "Last night you were all for Rocco handling his own problems. Yet when he does and enlists my assistance, I am the one in the wrong? I thought you would be thankful for my stopping Anthony before things got even more out of hand?"  
  
"That's not the point."  
  
"Then what is the point?" Jason questioned.  
  
"It is that Anthony is going to see what you did, whether it was his father's request or not, as a move against his family."  
  
"Run that by me again?" Jason dropped his head and narrowed his eyes as he stared quizzically at his father.  
  
"You know exactly what I am saying."  
  
"Not actually. I don't think that I do," Jason countered. "If you are even remotely implying that I had anything but the most honorable intentions tonight." Jason thought that even to his own ears he sounded a bit too overzealous.  
  
"Jason," Joseph's voice softened. "I know you would never do such a thing, but that's not the issue here. The issue is what Anthony believes......"  
  
"I don't care what he believes," Jason cut his father short. "Out of respect for you, I did as Rocco asked. Nothing more – nothing less.  
  
"But you know it's far from that simple."  
  
"If you only knew," Jason thought to himself.  
  
"Jason, I just don't want to fan the flames between our families, especially not with Rocco's health the way it is. It's bad for business."  
  
"No – Anthony and his hot head are what's bad for business."  
  
"That goes without saying," Joseph concurred. "But whether you like it or not Anthony does wield some influence over a few members in the other families, and god forbid if he can somehow rally his forces. Are you prepared for the wrath?"  
  
"Could you please explain exactly what it is I am missing here?" Jason sighed pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "I only did what I thought you would have wanted me to. I complied with Rocco's request to keep his daughter in law safe, which I might add I was in no way bound to do. And you are telling me that I could be starting a war!?"  
  
"Jason," Joseph rested his hand easily on his son's shoulder. "I am proud of you for your actions, especially given the way that I know you feel about Anthony, but this would have been far less complicated if you had just handed if off to me."  
  
"Why?" Jason was still confused. "I thought you trusted my judgment."  
  
"I do, it's not your judgment that's in question."  
  
Jason closed the door to his room in an effort to shut out his father's rather pointed words, yet that hadn't been the case. As much as he hated to admit it, Jason knew that Joseph was right. He knew that Anthony would take any little mark he could against the Morgan Family and do his best to turn it into ammunition of war. It didn't matter that Anthony was a cad when it came to his wife. It didn't make any difference that his lust for power made him haphazard in his business dealings. The only thing that did matter was what web he could spin to bring down Jason's family.  
  
Jason stretched his weary body across his bed in the hopes that sleep would engulf him rather than the images of Elizabeth's face. But with each close of his eyes Jason saw her. He saw her smile, the slender curves of her body, he could even hear her voice still. Suddenly everything about her consumed him.  
  
His father had assured him that he trusted Jason's judgment, so why was it that Jason all of the sudden didn't trust himself? Was it just the fact that he despised the way he saw Anthony treating his wife? Was it that he loved the spitfire he saw take on her bastard of a husband or was it more than that? That was a question Jason pondered as he made his way to the shower. 


	8. Chapter 7

Elizabeth closed the door to Rocco's study all the while thinking that her existence was far too complicated. She gathered what little strength she had left and headed to see her father for what was sure to be a confrontation.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jeff Webber cried as she stiffened under his concerned embrace. "I spent all night worrying about you."  
  
"That's a first," she quipped, reasoning that Anthony's father, with his few kind words had showed more concern for her than her own father had in years. She shook off the sadness that that idea caused her.  
  
"Please, I don't want to argue with you again. I truly was concerned for your safety."  
  
"I wish that had come years ago. You know before you married me off to the devil himself," Elizabeth said toying with the liquor bottles sitting on the rolling cart to the back of the terrace.  
  
"Am I going to pay for that mistake for the rest of my life?" Jeff's voice gasped.  
  
"I think you have it all wrong!" Elizabeth seethed her angry eyes turning to meet her father's pleading one. "I'm the one paying for your mistake!"  
  
"You really think that you are the only one suffering here?" Jeff's voice raised an octave. "Do you honestly believe that I like what I had to do any better than you do?"  
  
"I'm sorry but I can't say it's at all the same!" Elizabeth growled astonished at what she was hearing. She was astounded by the fact that, in her father's warped mind, he even remotely thought their situations were the same.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jeff ran his hand along the stubble invading his cheeks. "I know you don't want to hear this but I am sor....."  
  
"Don't!" She stopped him.  
  
"I am sorry!" he spoke over her. "What choice did I have though?"  
  
"Haw about taking your punishment like a man, instead of tucking your tail between your legs like a coward!"  
  
"Asking Anthony Malucci for help was anything but COWARDLY! I know what I was in for...."  
  
"Don't you mean you knew what you were getting your daughter into?" Elizabeth sneered.  
  
"You're never going to forgive me, are you?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"WHY?!?!" she echoed in disbelief. "I'm not even going to answer that question. What is it you want from me today?" Elizabeth asked finally pouring herself a healthy dose of scotch.  
  
"I came here to make sure you were all right."  
  
"Don't you really mean you came here to make sure my little stunt, as you called it, didn't jeopardize your latest scheme to further advance yourself?"  
  
"NO!!" Jeff lied knowing full well that she understood the bigger picture no matter how he attempted to change it. He was in far too deep with Anthony now to do anything to change it. So rather than rocking the boat he intended on riding the waves in an effort to get what he wanted. Yet now looking at his daughter, he couldn't help but think she had been tossed over board one too many times.  
  
"Don't insult my intelligence. What do you really want?" Elizabeth had grown tried of staring at the man before her.  
  
"This evening is the first meeting for the benefit we discussed the other day."  
  
"Oh that's right. Should I start calling you Mr. Senator?" Elizabeth did little to hide her laughter.  
  
"Could you get off your high horse for just a minute?" Jeff growled.  
  
"ME?!?!"  
  
"Yes, YOU! No matter what you think of me or your husband, this is a worthy cause. Somewhere in that hardened heart of yours......"  
  
"Hardened thanks you to!" she interjected.  
  
"Whatever, but I know that if you stop to think about it you will know that getting this project off the ground will mean a great many things for the coronary care patients, not to mention the hospital. Isn't that what's really important?"  
  
Elizabeth turned away from him attempting to hide her oncoming tears. Jeff's words held a great truth, but somehow she wasn't able to get past who was speaking them.  
  
"Besides don't you think it would be nice to put Anthony's dirty money to some good use?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Oh I see," Elizabeth turned eyes wide open now. "Anthony gets to play wealthy, respectable benefactor and you, well you get those brownie points you are looking for to bring you one step closer to being an illustrious senator. But I have to ask what's in it for me?"  
  
"Maybe a little self respect," Jeff Webber said softly.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Well maybe if you were involved in something other than sunning and drinking yourself into oblivion....."  
  
"YOU SANTUMONIOUS BASTARD!!! Drinking is what got me into this mess in the first place and it wasn't even my own!"  
  
"I know," Jeff's voice was barely a whisper as it passed his lips wishing that he had never spoken the words.  
  
"GET OUT!!" Elizabeth yelled.  
  
"What about the benefit?" Jeff wasn't about to let it drop no matter how angry his daughter may have been.  
  
"You are unbelievable you know that?"  
  
"Elizabeth?" Rocco's questioning voice invaded the terrace as he wheeled himself outside. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"Mr. Malucci," Jeff said as he came face to face with Anthony's father.  
  
"Is everything all right?" he asked again ignoring Jeff Webber completely.  
  
"Yes, yes I'm fine. My father was just leaving. Isn't that right, dad?" She stressed his title sarcastically.  
  
"Yes," Jeff hesitated before speaking again. "You know that Anthony expects your cooperation. I will see you this evening," he said more as a statement of fact than an actual question.  
  
While Rocco watched, Elizabeth poured herself another glass full of amber liquid from the bottle beside her. "Elizabeth," Rocco said softly.  
  
"I am sorry that our conversation disturbed you," she apologized suddenly feeling she owed him more than she had before.  
  
"It sounded to be much more than just a conversation."  
  
"No it's a tired conversation whose outcome never changes."  
  
"Oh really?" Rocco raised a brow. "How so?"  
  
"I don't want to bore you with my family troubles. Besides it's nothing that can be changed anyway."  
  
"You don't think?"  
  
"I know!" Elizabeth's voice took on an edge. No matter how agreeable he had been about his son's treatment of her, Elizabeth knew that Anthony was still his son.  
  
"What exactly do my son and your father want you to be involved with?" he asked dropping his previous avenue of questions.  
  
"A hospital benefit."  
  
"Sounds interesting"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Why don't you want to do it?" he questioned.  
  
"It's not that I don't want to," she paused treading lightly. "I just don't like to be controlled."  
  
"Obviously," Rocco smiled knowingly. Elizabeth relaxed a bit and returned with her own smile. "Tell me more about this benefit." Elizabeth took a seat across from where her father in law was seated and began with what little she knew about the event. "It does sound like something the Malucci organization could readily endorse."  
  
"That's what Anthony said," Elizabeth answered hesitantly.  
  
"Well I don't know what my son had in mind, but I would gladly do my part to contribute to such a worthwhile cause. I am sure many others would as well....."  
  
"You mean other Crime Families?" Elizabeth said biting her tongue to hold back her distaste of the idea.  
  
"You know Elizabeth," he started, "we all aren't monsters. Some of us actually do operate within some aspects of the law."  
  
"I'm sorry if I find that hard to believe," Elizabeth returned.  
  
"I will let you in on a little secret." He smiled. "We may have companies serving as fronts for our illegal activities, but some of us actually do have completely legitimate companies."  
  
"Really?" Elizabeth tried to sound not completely shocked by the idea.  
  
"Yes. That's a lesson my son hasn't yet learned. To survive in our world, you need more than brute strength and fear. One needs a sense of the workings of the world as a whole to create a grand illusion."  
  
"Isn't that what I'm for?" Elizabeth asked already knowing the answer.  
  
"It shouldn't have been that way."  
  
"It is though," she stated.  
  
"Might I make a suggestion?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Work on this benefit, not because Anthony or your father wants it, but because you want to. Elizabeth, I may be a weary old man, but I am far from blind. I see you wasting away right before my eyes. You are no longer the bright, vivacious young woman who first entered this house. I watch you turning into a hardened, bitter woman and in my opinion, you are much better than those things. There may be nothing you can do with the situation you were forced into, but you certainly don't have to give my son the satisfaction of breaking your spirit."  
  
"Why do you care what happens to me?" Elizabeth asked honestly.  
  
"You remind me a great deal of my sister. She too was forced to marry out of a family obligation. I watched her wilt like an unattended flower and I don't want to see that happen to you as well. You have far too much potential for that.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered wondering how it was that Rocco and Anthony were even related.  
  
Jason joined the others in his family around the table, the last remnants of the previous evening's party having been cleared away. He would have preferred to stay holed up in his room but knowing his mother the way he did that wasn't an option. To Cassandra Morgan, family meals were a given in her house.  
  
Emily eyes her brother from across the table as lunch was being served. Her heart broke for him. He had an unmistakable look of sadness around him these days.  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Morgan," a servant said.  
  
"Yes?" Joseph wiped the cloth napkin across his mouth.  
  
"There's a phone call for you sir."  
  
"Joseph." Cassandra began. "You know how I feel about interruptions during our meals."  
  
"Who is it?" Joseph asked.  
  
"Mr. Malucci."  
  
"I'm sorry dear, but I must take this call." Joseph's eyes darted in Jason's direction, both of them suddenly wondering if the first battle was about to begin. "Rocco."  
  
Jason sat silently holding his breath as he listened to his father's side of the conversation. "Yes, thank you...I know it's hard to believe she's old enough to be getting married." Joseph reached over and touched Emily's hand lightly. "Yes...yes...though I may have not agreed with the method I do understand." Jason assumed they were now discussing himself and Elizabeth. "I too was proud, just cautious as well...I understand....yes, I will think about that....it does sound like something we might be interested in....yes thank you for calling....and please do keep me abreast of our mutual interests."  
  
"What was that about?" Jason questioned as his father set the phone on the table beside him.  
  
"Joseph," Cassandra said before her husband had a chance to speak. "You know how I feel about business being discussed."  
  
"This isn't business, well not really," he offered.  
  
"Well then what is it?" Both Jason and Cassandra spoke at once.  
  
"It seems that Chicago University Hospital is conduction a benefit. The monies raised will be put toward enhancing the coronary care until. Rocco thought that since his daughter in law," Jason's ears suddenly perked up, "will be in charge of coordinating the event, Emily might like to join the committee. You know give it a more youthful feel. He also asked if we had anything that we would like to donate to the silent auction that the Malucci family will be hosting."  
  
"Joseph, Emily will be too busy planning her wedding to be concerned with some charity event," Cassandra stressed.  
  
"No Mama, I think that it would be great fun," Emily countered intrigued both by the idea of working with Elizabeth and the fact that suddenly the brother that sat across from her no longer looked so sullen.  
  
"But dear, we haven't even settled on your dress or the bridesmaids' dresses. There is so much to be done yet. I just don't want you wearing yourself too thin."  
  
"You worry too much mama. Everything will be fine."  
  
"So, I should assume that you will assist Anthony's wife?" Joseph pointedly remarked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Wonderful. It will be nice to see the Morgan and Malucci families working together. Rocco said that the event is being held at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Elizabeth and her father will be there this evening for an initial meeting if you would care to join them," Joseph said to Emily.  
  
"I think that I would like to do that."  
  
"Glad to hear it. Jason?" Joseph questioned as his son rose from the table.  
  
"I have some contracts to review and I am not really all that hungry." Jason needed to remove himself from the conversation. It wasn't bad enough that he couldn't get Elizabeth out of his mind as it was. He didn't need to hear her name continually bantered around the table. Joseph looked at his son curiously all the while wondering what was going on in his head.  
  
"I should really be going too." Emily got up to follow Jason.  
  
"Emily??" her mother cried.  
  
"I promised Zander that I would help him pick the tuxedo style for the ushers." Emily kissed Cassandra's cheek before shooting out the door in search of her brother.  
  
"Jason," she called as he ascended the stairs.  
  
"Yes?" he stopped to answer her.  
  
"What's going on with you?"  
  
"What do you mean, what's going on with me?"  
  
"I saw that smile you tried to hide when papa mentioned Elizabeth. What was that all about?"  
  
"I think you need to get your eyes checked baby sister. You must be seeing things," Jason said sure that Emily could read him like a book.  
  
"My vision is perfect. It's yours I am worried about," she countered.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Did you happen to miss the gold band encircling her finger?"  
  
"The rock was pretty hard to miss," Jason quipped in an effort to disguise feelings he was certain were written all over his features. "So why the sudden urge to become so civic minded?" Jason hoped to turn the conversation away from him.  
  
"Papa. He wants so badly to stop the animosity between our families. I just wanted to do my part."  
  
"That's never going to happen. Not as long as Anthony is alive!"  
  
"Jason?" Emily questioned his sudden harsh voice.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"No, that wasn't nothing."  
  
"It's nothing for you to be concerned with. I really do need to get to work on these contracts."  
  
"Jase," she spoke softly. "I know your are lonely, but this isn't the way to put an end to it."  
  
Jason's eyes met his sister's amazed at how well she knew him. Putting Elizabeth out of his mind wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it should have been. 


	9. Chapter 8

Jason sat behind the desk in his room doing nothing more than moving the piles of papers he found there from one side to the other never actually looking at them. He was unnerved by the way his little sister had been able to read his every move, his every thought. He knew it wouldn't take long for his father to be doing the very same thing. That notion could prove to be disastrous, especially after the pointed speech Joseph had given him that morning. Jason wondered though, how was he supposed to convince his father when he couldn't convince himself that what was happening deep in his heart wasn't really happening at all?  
  
Restless Jason rose from the chair and headed for the windows that looked out over the pool. He watched the water's gentle movement as his mind traveled back in time. No longer did he see Anthony falling end over end into the deep water, but rather the image of Elizabeth basked in moonlight filled his thoughts. She had been a vision before him so much so that it left him virtually speechless. Never before had he come face to face with any woman that had had that effect on him. His only thought now was why did that incredible feeling have to be elicited by Anthony Malucci's wife? Jason had to keep reminding himself of that fact, the fact that not only was she a married woman, a major no-no to begin with, but she was married to Anthony no less.  
  
"AHHHHH!!" He let out a defeated groan. When was he ever going to catch a break, he thought to himself.  
  
Jason walked out of the room closing the door behind him. The concept of getting any work done having long since passed. The house was quiet and he was thankful that there would be no more run ins with his father or Emily for that matter. All Jason wanted to do at the moment was find something to occupy his mind, as long as that something was anything other than Elizabeth Malucci.  
  
He found himself aimlessly walking around the expansive house thoughts wandering again to all the things he felt were missing from his life. His eyes were drawn to the mantle filled with family photos that held so many memories for him. They illustrated a time to him that seemed like a lifetime ago. He picked up the crystal frame that held AJ's wedding picture. Jason swallowed hard around the lump in his throat as if to stop the resentment that threatened him. Somehow he found it easier to understand Emily's ability to find love and happiness, since she was never expected to be part of her father's world, but AJ on the other hand should have been standing alongside his brother. That wasn't the case and that fact angered Jason no matter the reason for it.  
  
AJ married Courtney Matthews over three years ago and had steadily risen within the ranks of her father's construction company. Joseph tried to reason with his youngest son that AJ wasn't cut out for their life, yet to Jason the explanation mattered very little. All he could see was how both of his siblings were getting to have lives of their own choosing and he wasn't. Without thinking, Jason laid the photo face down as if that somehow would make the truth regarding it go away.  
  
Suddenly he felt like the walls around him were suffocating him more so than the ever had before and he didn't know why. Or did he? He found it bizarre to think the only thing that had changed in his life was one brief uneventful encounter with Anthony Malucci's wife, but Jason knew it had been anything but uneventful. Their innocent coming together had him walking a tight rope of emotions. Emotions that he knew could be his down fall and more importantly emotions that wouldn't serve to do him any good anyhow.  
  
Crossing the room, Jason stopped at the sideboard filled with various bottles of liquor. He looked them over carefully trying to decide which would be his love for the evening, since he was more than certain true love wasn't meant for him.  
  
Elizabeth heard the hushed voices just beyond the closed door of her room. A chill rippled through her at the sound of her husband's hard masculine tones. The idea of meeting him face to face after the previous night's events had her more than a bit apprehensive. She did her best to focus on Rocco's words. His words that told her she would be safe from Anthony's wrath, but Elizabeth had her doubts.  
  
"Where do you think you are going?" Anthony barked eyeing the clothes laid out on the bed. His abrupt entranced startled her.  
  
"I...."  
  
"Elizabeth will be accompanying her father to the committee meeting for the hospital charity event," Rocco said before Elizabeth could say any more. Her eyes locked with her father in law's as if to say thank you. "We should really let her attend to getting ready. Besides son, there are a few things that I wish to discuss with you."  
  
"How did you do that?" Anthony asked his father as he followed him up the hallway.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Get Elizabeth to agree to be part of the benefit." Anthony was completely amazed at Elizabeth's turn around.  
  
"That's between Elizabeth and myself," Rocco returned.  
  
"She is my WIFE," Anthony countered with ire. "I think I have a right to know what's going on here!"  
  
"Then might I suggest that you start treating her with the respect a wife deserves. You can't have it both ways son. You can't bring her out and dust her off like some forgotten trophy when you need to prove yourself."  
  
Anthony made his best attempt to not roll his eyes all the while thinking 'Here we go again."  
  
"Did you give any thought to our discussion?"  
  
"Yes," Anthony lied. The only thoughts he mulled over the previous night were how to get what he was really after while still working within the realm that his father would accept.  
  
"Then you and I, we are on the same page as far as your wife is concerned? I don't care how many goomahs you want Anthony, discretion is all that I am asking. There is no need to be so openly unfaithful. That's no way to gain respect of those around you."  
  
"Understood," he said although Rocco was less than convinced.  
  
"Ah Elizabeth, you look lovely," Rocco said as she entered the dining room. "Are you in need of a ride to the meeting or will your father be picking you up?" His father's ability to turn a conversation on a dime amazed Anthony.  
  
"Actually I will be driving myself." Elizabeth knew she couldn't stomach a ride to the Botanic Garden with her father. She didn't again need to hear his tiresome words.  
  
"Nonsense, you haven't any idea how long this meeting may run. It could go well into the evening hours. Let Silvio drive you," Rocco suggested.  
  
"No father," Anthony spoke up, "I will escort my wife." He crossed the room and placed a gentle kiss on Elizabeth's cheek.  
  
Needless to say his actions confused her. This certainly wasn't the reaction she expected nor was it the same man who barreled into their bedroom minutes before. She shot a glance at Rocco who was now seated at the head of the dining room table. Almost as though she were asking if this was truly her husband. He returned her questioning stare with a subtle wink of his own.  
  
"Sounds like a wonderful idea," Rocco Malucci applauded. "It will be nice to see my family and Joseph's working together on such a wonderful endeavor.  
  
"What? What did you say?" Anthony questioned.  
  
"I hadn't gotten a chance to tell Elizabeth yet, but now I can tell you both. Joseph's daughter, Emily, has agreed to serve on the committee with you," he turned to say to Elizabeth. "I thought it would be nice if this function was a bit more on the upbeat side."  
  
"Emily?? As in Emily Morgan?" Anthony asked again outraged at the mere thought of being forced to work with any member of the Morgan family.  
  
"Yes," Rocco stared coldly at his son. "Do you have a problem with that?"  
  
"No," Anthony swallowed his anger.  
  
"Glad to hear it. I hope that you find that agreeable Elizabeth."  
  
"I am sure that will be fine. I am just surprised Emily will have the time to work on the event with her wedding fast approaching," Elizabeth said suddenly thinking about Jason Morgan all over again. Working closely with his sister was either going to be a help or hindrance. She just wished she knew which it would be.  
  
Elizabeth sat in the passenger seat of Anthony's Jaguar heading toward the heart of the city. If she closed her eyes tight enough maybe the next time she opened them, Jason Morgan would be the one driving rather than her husband. That wasn't the case though, yet Elizabeth did have an eerie sensation of déjà vu.  
  
She stole a glance in his direction as he downshifted, bringing the car to a halt at the red light. She was desperately trying to make heads or tails of Anthony's sudden turnabout. It didn't make sense and she certainly didn't trust it. The only thing she did trust right now was that whatever Rocco Malucci had done or threatened his son with, she hoped that it lasted long enough for her to use Anthony's new found personality to her advantage.  
  
"Did you enjoy your evening away from the house?" Anthony's voice poked at her private thoughts.  
  
"Huh?" she mumbled as The Drake Hotel came into her line of vision.  
  
"I asked you if you enjoyed your evening away from the house?" This time his voice had more bite to it, but Elizabeth barely noticed as the image of Jason's penthouse transported her out of the car.  
  
"It was fine," she said noncommittal at best.  
  
"Well don't think that you can make a habit out of it!"  
  
"What?" she asked distractedly.  
  
"Elizabeth, what the hell's with you?" he barked annoyed with her lack of attention to him.  
  
"Nothing, I was running over some ideas for the benefit in my head," she lied as she shifted uneasy in the leather seat.  
  
"Why the sudden change of heart? I thought you weren't interested in the event."  
  
"No," she corrected. "It had nothing to do with not being interested in the event, but everything in having no interest in helping you further some mock existence or helping my father in gaining a seat on the Senate."  
  
Anthony's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he attempted to hold his tongue. Playing by his father's rules was going to be much harder than he ever imagined.  
  
After he parked the Jag, Elizabeth followed Anthony inside The Chicago Botanic Garden, steeling herself for a long intense evening. She saw her father, Emily Morgan and several other men already seated around a glass top conference table.  
  
Jeff Webber stood as he spoke. "Gentlemen, you all know my daughter, Elizabeth." He kissed her cheek ceremonially. "And her husband Anthony Malucci." The name Malucci received a few quizzical stares and arched brows. None of, which was lost on Anthony who felt the hairs on the back of his neck, stand erect. "Anthony's family will be coordinating the silent auction for the benefit," Jeff announced.  
  
"Gentlemen," Elizabeth spoke interrupting her father. "I want to apologize for my father's apparently rude behavior," she said smiling the whole time. "This is Ms. Emily Morgan, who has so graciously agreed to add her efforts to our project."  
  
Jeff bit his tongue, feeling almost as angered as Anthony was about Rocco's need to involve the Morgan family. He had intended to downplay their role in this benefit as much as possible, yet it appeared that his daughter had other plans.  
  
"Nice to meet you Ms. Morgan. I have worked extensively with your father and brother on many hospital functions," Dr. Harner stated. "It's nice to see you lending a hand as well."  
  
"It's my pleasure," Emily returned.  
  
"You think we could get started," Anthony questioned harshly, having had enough of the Morgan lovefest.  
  
"Yes, why don't we?" Jeff said pulling out a chair for his daughter so that she was seated next to him. If they had been anywhere but there, Elizabeth would have come up with a snappy remark for his actions, yet she remained quiet.  
  
Emily sat and listened to the conversation going on around her, but was far more interested in the three people sitting directly across from her. Elizabeth's father was speaking a mile a minute with regards to all aspects of the benefit. Emily had to hide a snicker, thinking that he sounded more like a nervous schoolboy than a man vying for a Senate seat.  
  
Next she was drawn to Elizabeth, who sat between two men that Emily had to imagine were hell to live with. The little she had been able to gather about Elizabeth's father was he had his own agenda to fulfill and what his daughter wanted fell to the bottom of that list. Then, of course, there was Elizabeth's husband, a term which Emily used loosely. If what had happened at her engagement party was any indication of what the Malucci marriage was like, well Emily's heart went out to Elizabeth.  
  
"Mr. Malucci," Dr. Harner said, "this silent auction, what exactly did you have in mind for it?"  
  
"I...well...it's...." Anthony stammered.  
  
"My father in law," Elizabeth said enjoying the fact that Anthony was making himself look the ass she already knew him to be, "is looking at obtaining things along the line of private box seats at Wrigley Field for several sporting events as well as a concert or two, a 3 day/2 night trip to New York City to see 'The Lion King', and there are several weekend packages donated by local hotels and resorts......"  
  
"Impressive," one man stated.  
  
"Rocco Malucci," Elizabeth said purposely, "is a generous man who wants this benefit to be a success. While he knows his own heart condition is past the point of repair, he hopes that his donations and those of others will aid a great deal of people."  
  
Emily couldn't help but notice the fury behind Anthony's eyes as Elizabeth continued on about his father. Absently she wondered when the steam would start pouring from his ears.  
  
"It appears that your daughter has everything under control, Jeff," Dr. Harner offered. "I am confident that this event will be a great success."  
  
"That's the only outcome I would expect," he concurred.  
  
"Jason?" Emily looked stunned as her brother joined the group. "What are you doing here?" She couldn't stop herself from thinking back to their earlier conversation, wondering exactly what his intentions were.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said to those seated in the room. "I didn't realize that you weren't finished with your meeting." Elizabeth was instantly drawn to him as the sound of his voice sent her nerves singing. "Zander called to say that he would be delayed and unable to pick you up."  
  
"Hello Jason," Dr. Harner said. "It's so nice to see you again." He reached to shake Jason's hand. "We weren't quite finished here. Why don't you join us?"  
  
Anthony felt his body physically begin to shake with rage. His own reception at this table paled in comparison to the warm greeting that Jason Morgan had gotten. That coupled with the fact that his wife's eyes hadn't left the man, infuriated him all the more.  
  
"No really," Jason said, "I am only here to pick up my sister. Besides she's the Morgan representative here not me." He smiled. It was smile that Elizabeth let herself get lost in.  
  
"Nonsense, we could certainly use your opinion."  
  
"If you are sure?" he commented taking a chair next to his sister, directly across from Elizabeth. A position he used to his advantage since no one could question his staring at her from that perch.  
  
"Certainly. You don't mind do you Jeff?" Dr. Harner asked.  
  
"No," he answered never once looking in his son in law's direction.  
  
"Elizabeth, would you like to fill Mr. Morgan in on what we have discussed so far?" Dr. Harner said giving her the floor.  
  
"Of course," she smiled.  
  
Jason stared intently at her as she spoke again of the silent auction. He could hear his heavy breathing in his head as he made a valiant attempt at resisting the urge to reach out and touch her. "Sounds like you already have some great things lined up. They should bring in a pretty profit. I know that Rocco discussed with my father about the Morgan family donating something to the auction as well, but I don't see topping any of those items."  
  
Anthony did little to hide the smirk that filled his face at Jason's words. "Then don't try," he said smartly.  
  
"So," Jason continued knowing what response his next statement was about to illicit and loving every minute of it. "Since this is such a worthy cause, I am sure that my father wouldn't have a problem with Morgan Enterprises matching the funds raised from the event."  
  
"Jason?" Emily questioned noticeably shocked. Watching the animosity between her brother and Anthony, she had to wonder just what this was all about, or better yet who.  
  
"It's not a problem, Em. We do things like this all the time." Jason rested his hand on Emily's.  
  
"That's a generous offer Mr. Morgan," Jeff said, "but not necessary." He could see the ire growing with the force of a raging bull within Anthony as Jason Morgan took center stage.  
  
"Jason," Dr. Harner began, "that's an amazing offer and I as Chief Financial Officer of the hospital want to personally thank you. We will most definitely have more than enough funds to implement our plans."  
  
"It's my family's pleasure." Jason smiled broadly in Anthony's direction.  
  
"Well then all that's left to discuss is the price of the tickets, entertainment and who will cater the event," Elizabeth said. She tried to stay focused on why she was really in the room, yet the only thought that consumed her was that of Jason Morgan, who was so close but yet so far. 


	10. Chapter 9

Jason stood watching Elizabeth, her father and Anthony in the distance. Dr. Harner was speaking to him yet Jason hadn't heard a single work the man had said. He might as well have just ordered his own death since he knew the situation he placed himself in with Anthony's wife was precarious at best. Yet the idea of spending time, time that was above board, with Elizabeth sent his heart racing.  
  
"I can't thank you enough for your generous gesture." Dr. Harner's voice, along with Emily's not so gentle nudge, forced Jason back to reality.  
  
"It was my pleasure, really," he said never averting his eyes from Elizabeth.  
  
"Be that as it may," the doctor spoke. "It is still an amazing offer."  
  
"To an amazingly worthwhile cause," Jason countered.  
  
"Jason," Emily spoke up. "We really should be getting home."  
  
"Yes, you're right. I am sure that Zander is waiting for you by now." Jason smiled thanking the powers that be for whatever delayed his future brother in law that evening. Not only did Jason have the gratification of one upping Anthony Malucci, but he had had the pleasure of Elizabeth's company as well.  
  
"Where are you going?" Emily asked as she watched Jason make his way to Elizabeth and the others.  
  
"It would be rude to leave without saying goodbye," he smiled.  
  
"Jason!" He heard his sister's warning tone, but his feet had other ideas. Crossing the room Jason came to stand beside Elizabeth, a position that he knew angered Anthony almost immediately.  
  
"Mr. Morgan," Elizabeth said clearing her throat. "That was quite an amazing offer you put on the table for the benefit. Do you realize what potential this benefit has to make? Are you sure that you are prepared to match those funds?"  
  
"I don't see that as being a problem. The Morgan family knows a worthy cause when we see it. Just as I am sure that Malucci family does. Isn't that right Anthony?" Jason smiled sheepishly.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, MORGAN?!?!" Anthony barked.  
  
"Elizabeth," Emily interrupted before giving Jason the chance to answer. "I was hoping that maybe we could arrange to meet with several of the caterers."  
  
"Sure," Elizabeth said absently eyeing the two men who were staring one another down.  
  
"The caterer my mother has chosen for my reception is fabulous. I didn't see them on your initial list. Would you mind if I added them? I am sure they could do a great job."  
  
"That would be fine."  
  
"I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING MORGAN?!?!?" Anthony growled again.  
  
"Doing?" Jason feigned ignorance.  
  
"DON'T PLAY FUCKING STUPID WITH ME!"  
  
"Anthony!" Elizabeth gasped. "What's wrong with you? Mr. Morgan has just ensured that this charity event will be more than just a mere success, but one of great magnitude. Isn't that what we all want?" she cooed linking her arm in her father's.  
  
Elizabeth took such pleasure in knowing that even though her father might end up still getting what he wanted out of all of this, her husband certainly would not. No matter what Anthony did from this point forward, he would forever be standing in the Morgan family shadow. More importantly, in Jason Morgan's shadow. That thought brought a gleeful smile to her face.  
  
Elizabeth watched Jason and Emily exit the room all the while longing for him to still be standing next to her. To her Jason Morgan was suddenly larger than life. Both he and Anthony were from the same world, but there was a sense of honor surrounding Jason that Anthony would never have.  
  
"LET'S GO!" Anthony growled tugging her by the arm.  
  
"You're hurting me," she said as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp.  
  
"I'll be doing more than just hurting you if you don't get your ass moving!" he said with a sudden smile as Dr. Harner approached them.  
  
"Mr. Malucci," he began, "please tell your father that the hospital greatly appreciates all of the work he did in putting the silent auction together. I think that, coupled with the Morgan's matching funds, the hospital should have no problem in securing those research grants we had hoped for."  
  
"You will get your grants. But it will be my family who gets them for you not the Morgans," Anthony said curtly.  
  
"Excuse me?" Dr. Harner was confused.  
  
"What Anthony means is," Jeff cut in knowing his son in law's crude behavior was just about to show through, "that once I am elected to the Senate, I will be sure to steer those grants in your direction. Since my daughter is married to a Malucci, then that makes me a Malucci as well. Isn't that right Anthony?" Jeff did his best to cover.  
  
"Certainly," Anthony returned as he stood there grinding his teeth.  
  
"It's getting late. We really should be going," Jeff said.  
  
"Elizabeth," Dr. Harner addressed her. "I look forward to seeing what you and Ms. Morgan put together for us."  
  
"Thank you. I only hope that it goes smoothly. Good night," she offered as she turned to follow her father and husband.  
  
"You think you are so cute, don't you?" Anthony asked as he navigated the Jag out of the parking space.  
  
"Excuse me?" Elizabeth gave him a quizzical stare.  
  
"That little display tonight. You think I didn't know what that was all about?"  
  
"Display? What display?" Elizabeth shifted nervously in her seat wondering if Anthony was smarter than she had given him credit for. She wondered if he could feel the tension she felt between herself and Jason Morgan.  
  
"You enjoyed every fucking minute of making me look like a fool in front of Morgan!"  
  
"Sorry to say, but you had the pleasure of doing that all on your own!" Elizabeth countered. "Besides, I don't get why you were so bent out of shape to begin with."  
  
"WHAT!?!" his voice boomed off the interior of the car.  
  
"You heard me. What's the big deal? You are still going to come off as the upstanding benefactor. It's still going to you and my father sitting at the head table. Isn't that what this show is really all about?"  
  
"NOT ANYMORE!"  
  
"Rocco wants the families to work together...."  
  
"Who fucking cares what the old man wants?" Anthony seethed.  
  
"I do!"  
  
"So what, you are finally finding that loyalty for my family that you misplaced a while ago?"  
  
"Let's get one thing straight Anthony. I respect your father because he respects me. I would like to do right by the man. You on the other hand don't deserve the respect I would give an ant I was about to step on!"  
  
"YOU BITCH!!" Anthony raised his hand as though he was about to strike her but thought better of it. He couldn't let her goad him into doing anything that would anger his father. Whether he liked it or not he still had to answer to the man, yet walking this thin line was getting more and more difficult.  
  
Jason turned the key in the ignition while Emily stared at him in disbelief. To her, he looked like the proverbial cat that had just swallowed the mouse.  
  
"Jason Morgan," she began sounding more like his mother than his sister. "What on earth was all of that?"  
  
"All of what?" Again he attempted innocence.  
  
"Don't give me that. You know exactly what I am talking about. Why are you suddenly so damned generous?"  
  
"You said so yourself, Papa wants our family and the Maluccis to work together. So I am working together."  
  
"Don't give me that crap."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Come on Jase, what's really going on here? I'm not dumb nor am I blind...."  
  
"Your point?"  
  
"My point is that I saw the way you were eyeing Anthony's wife. I can't imagine that that others didn't see it as well."  
  
"Emily, you are far too romantic for your own good."  
  
"Then tell me I'm wrong Jason. Tell me that your weren't thinking about her the whole time that you were sitting across from Elizabeth at that table. Tell me this grand gesture of yours wasn't just to impress her. Can you tell me any of those things?"  
  
Jason looked straight ahead as he drove down the darkened streets knowing that all of Emily's words were true.  
  
"Well?" she prodded.  
  
"What do you want me to say?"  
  
"I want you to tell me that you are going to stay away from Elizabeth."  
  
"I can't do that...."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard Dr. Harner. He expects me to be involved in the benefit from this point forward."  
  
"So that's your grand plan, isn't it dear brother?"  
  
"Now what are you talking about?" Jason asked still keeping his eyes trained on the road before him.  
  
"You know exactly what I am talking about. Not only do you get to be close to Elizabeth, but also you get to do it under the guise of something you know Papa can't question. Not to mention the fact that you get to upstage Anthony."  
  
"A trained seal could up stage Anthony," Jason quipped.  
  
"Jason," Emily sighed.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I just think that you are asking for trouble, big trouble."  
  
"Em," Jason rested his hand on hers, "you worry too much."  
  
"Jason, where have you been?" Joseph asked as his son and daughter entered the foyer.  
  
"I went to pick up Emily."  
  
"You have been gone for quite some time."  
  
"Good night, Papa." Emily kissed her father's cheek sensing that he was less than pleased with his son. She decided it was best to remove herself from his line of fire.  
  
"It turned out that Dr. Harner was at Emily's charity meeting. He asked that I join them. I didn't want to be rude."  
  
"No I'm sure you didn't. However, I thought I made myself clear that I wanted our families working together, not against one another."  
  
"You did and I did just that."  
  
"How so?" Joseph was curious.  
  
"After hearing all that Rocco has already secured for the silent auction, I thought it would be better if the Morgan family matched the funds raised at the event."  
  
"What?"  
  
Jason couldn't tell if Joseph was more angry or shocked by his words. "Our family has given so much to the hospital already that I couldn't see us not doing it again."  
  
"Why do I know there is more to this than you are telling me?"  
  
"Nothing more, nothing less," Jason offered attempting his best poker face.  
  
"Jason, this was to have been a Malucci event, not something for us to upstage Rocco and his family. I can't believe that you did something so blatant without passing it through me first."  
  
"Exactly what do you want from me? You say that I am your second, but why is it that I never feel as though I truly am?" Jason asked trying his best to hold back his anger. "You bring me into this life without an option but still I am just on the outskirts. Am I just some token to you? Don't you trust me to do right by this family?" Jason's inward anger at the thoughts he was entertaining regarding Elizabeth was now being turned outward in the direction of his father.  
  
"Jason," Joseph rested his hand on his son's shoulder. "You are much more than my second. You are my son, my legacy. I love you. You know that I trust you with my life. It's just when you and Anthony are involved in anything, it becomes explosive to say the least. Our family can't afford that explosion. Do you understand me? Too many of the old men from the old school are dying and they are being replaced with men who think like Anthony. If that continues, the empire that my father and his father before him built will be threatened. The life that my family has been accustomed to will be threatened. I can't take that chance. I can't let this little test of will between you and Anthony escalate. It's not good for anyone's business."  
  
"I understand," Jason relented.  
  
"I knew you would son."  
  
But as his father walked away Jason didn't understand – not completely anyway. He had spent his whole life listening and learning at his father's knee. Why was it that he had learned the codes that Anthony hadn't? Why couldn't it have been as simple and as swift as it had been before when an enemy needed to be taken care of? No matter what Jason's father wanted to believe, Anthony Malucci was the enemy. 


	11. Chapter 10

_"Too many of the old men from the old school are dying, and they are being replaced with men who think like Anthony. If that continues, the empire that my father and his father before him built will be threatened. The life that my family has been accustomed to will be threatened. I can't take that chance. I can't let this little test of wills between you and Anthony escalate. It's not good for anyone's business."  
  
_Joseph's poignant words to his son were the only thing that Danny let himself concentrate on that endless night in his room. The Omerta that was sacred among the Borgata wasn't as steadfast as it once had been. Jason knew that as much as his father did. The time when loyalty to the organization came first was virtually a thing of the past. He couldn't help but wonder exactly when Joseph would let go of some of his staunch traditions and open his eyes to a world where men like Anthony teetered on the brink of destroying everything in the name of greed.  
  
How could Jason respectfully tell his father that the honor and loyalty Joseph afforded his life long friend, Rocco Malucci, would be the thing that cost Joseph the things most dear to him, not Jason's distaste for Rocco's son? For the moment, Jason felt as though he was stuck in the middle, unable to go back to the old ways his father had taught him to believe but also not able to move forward into new territory out of respect for his father's authority.  
  
Jason crossed his bedroom to where the unopened bottle of scotch sat. It was barely dawn and he knew this wasn't any way to start the day, yet he reasoned that he hadn't even gone to bed so what was the harm? As he brought the heavy glass to his lips, the whirl of the lawnmower outside caught his attention. Pulling open the slats of the blind that covered the window, Jason watched as the groundskeepers went to work keeping the Morgan Estate in pristine condition. He tried to recall a time in his life when all he had known was that his family was wealthy but didn't know exactly what their business was. It seemed like eons ago to him. Where had all his innocence gone? Where had his youth gone? Danny looked at his face in the mirror as he thought about how old he looked for only being twenty-six. He appeared tired, and more importantly, lonely. People forever surrounded him but still he felt isolated. He watched his sister and brother hold hands with those that they loved, watched them whisper playfully to one another sharing special secrets and moments. All those things that couples in love did. He wanted all of that so badly, so much so he ached for it.  
  
With that thought, Elizabeth's face flooded his memory. Jason knew his involvement in the charity benefit for the hospital was a mistake, but the temptation of Elizabeth and the opportunity to blast Anthony Malucci out of the water had been too great for him to resist. Why was it that he suddenly felt as if he was the one drowning? Jason was drowning in a sea of befuddling emotions. Emotions that were so foreign that they made very little, if any sense at all to him.  
  
Jason continually repeated to himself that he was only doing what had to be done to illustrate to Anthony exactly where he belonged in the administration, but again that weak, resounding voice from his heart told a different tale, a tale that had Elizabeth at center stage.  
  
No matter how hard he tried, Jason was unable to irradiate Elizabeth's face from his mind's eye, remove her lingering scent from his nostrils, or stop her sweet voice from ringing in his ears. Never before had he entertained such feelings, and Jason vaguely wondered if this was what it felt like to be a lovesick schoolboy. Until a few days ago he had resigned himself to a loveless existence, but one look at Elizabeth and he was having his doubts.  
  
"GET A GRIP MORGAN!" he said to the reflection that looked back at him. "What the hell are you thinking man?" he as if he would get an answer.  
  
Yet Jason knew the answer to the question though. The answer was that he wasn't thinking at all, and that was the problem.  
  
Elizabeth stood under the pounding water of the shower taking refuge there. The past evening had been filled with Anthony's angry repartee regarding the Morgan family well into the wee hours of the morning. She listened dutifully as she gathered all the ammunition that she needed to piece her plan together. Anthony's hatred for Jason Morgan would be the driving force she needed to bring her own vendetta to fruition. Being Anthony Malucci's wife had taught her a thing or two about revenge. Elizabeth intended on putting her husband's teachings to good use.  
  
As she made her way into the dining room, Elizabeth was disappointed to see only Anthony sitting at the large table. Meals, any time for that matter, when much smoother when her father in law was present. Elizabeth drew in a heavy breath and gathered all of her inner strength before entering. "Good morning," she said picking up a small glass of orange juice from the lavish buffet. To this day it still amazed her the lengths the staff went to for just the three of them.  
  
"Yeah," Anthony returned without ever looking up from The Chicago Sun Times.  
  
"Are you still angry about what happened at the meeting last night?" she innocently asked.  
  
"What do you think?" he barked in return.  
  
"I was just hoping that maybe you would have calmed down some," she said sipping her coffee and took great enjoyment in watching him stew before her.  
  
"There has to be some way to get Morgan off this event!" Anthony stated as if he was talking to himself rather than his wife.  
  
"Why?" she questioned hiding a faint smile.  
  
"WHY?!?!"  
  
"Yes, why? Like I said last night, this is still a Malucci sponsored event. Your name is going to be the one on the marquee......"  
  
"Like hell it is!" Anthony forcefully threw the society section of the paper across the table at her.  
  
"What?" she asked catching the flying object just before it could spill her juice all over the table.  
  
"Looking at the fucking headline!"  
  
Elizabeth unfolded the paper. A picture of Jason Morgan sitting alongside his father looked back at her. Eyes traveling to the top of the page she read.  
_'Jason Morgan, CEO Morgan Enterprises, major benefactor in Chicago Memorial Coronary Car Unit expansion'  
_She was once again taken aback by Jason's handsome features. Even in the black and white photo of him, his commanding presence was evident. Elizabeth felt a warm rush fall over her as she thought back to her brief encounters with him. Jason Morgan set her body on fire in a way no man had ever done before and funny thing was that he had really done nothing at all.  
  
"We're not even freakin' mentioned!" Anthony's angry words forced Elizabeth from her fantasy.  
  
"I don't believe that," she countered. "Not after all that your father has done to put together such a wonderful silent auction. It would be crazy for the paper to pass that by." Elizabeth scanned the article and found nearly an entire column that had been dedicated to the auction. "Anthony, look right here." She pointed to the words she had just read. "The Malucci name is all over the place. It's actually a very nice piece. I thought that's what you wanted?"  
  
"I wanted the headline!" he growled. "But no....MORGAN has to fucking have everything!"  
  
At that very moment, Elizabeth vaguely thought Anthony sounded very much like a child throwing a tantrum. Before she could say anything to refute his words, Rocco entered the room.  
  
"I am sorry to be getting to the table so late this morning," he apologized.  
  
Elizabeth noticed how out of breath he seemed to be. As much as she tried to deny it, Rocco's condition was beginning to deteriorate more with each passing day. "Would you like some coffee?" she asked getting up from her seat.  
  
"Yes dear that would be nice. I wanted to discuss how the first meeting went with you both last night but I was so tired – well I just couldn't stay awake any longer waiting. So how was it?"  
  
"It went well...." Elizabeth began as Anthony cut her off.  
  
"MORGAN IS AT IT AGAIN!!"  
  
"What are you droning on about now?" Rocco asked knowing full well where his son was headed. Anthony was headed down the well-beaten path that led to his son's open hatred of Joseph and Jason Morgan. Yet this morning Rocco had neither the strength nor the desire to follow along.  
  
"This!" He whipped the paper from between Elizabeth's fingers and thrust it in his father's face.  
  
"And?"  
  
"AND?!??! Is that all you can fucking say is and?"  
  
"Anthony....." Elizabeth gasped sensing that his father wasn't quite up for the inevitable sparring match.  
  
"You – shut the fuck up!" he barked staring Elizabeth down.  
  
"ENOUGH!" Rocco said straining to speak. "I will not tolerate such behavior. You apologize to your wife."  
  
"Apologize? Apologize for what?"  
  
"I told you before Anthony that I expect you to respect your wife. This little display is hardly respectful. NOW APOLOGIZE!!"  
  
Anthony bit the inside of his mouth so hard he could taste his own blood. He had never felt so belittled before in his life. "Sorry."  
  
"Such enthusiasm," Rocco chided.  
  
"What the hell do you want from me?" Anthony spit back. "If it was us to you I wouldn't have a fucking thing!"  
  
"What on earth are you talking about?"  
  
"You know what I am talking about. Morgan and his damn family upstaged us again. How the hell could The Sun Time have already known about this?" Anthony shook the paper in front of Rocco's eyes.  
  
"I told them," the older man offered.  
  
"You what???"  
  
If Elizabeth could have crawled beneath the table at that precise moment she would have. Anthony's temper was a volcano about to erupt.  
  
"I informed the gentleman who called inquiring about the charity benefit for the hospital that the Morgan and Malucci families would be working together to ensure a great success," Rocco said calmly.  
  
"How the hell did you even know about Danny's offer to match the funds raised at the event?"  
  
"I received a phone call from Joseph last night."  
  
"And what, you just rolled over again and played dead like some fucking dog at his feet?"  
  
"I don't owe you and explanation!"  
  
"The hell you don't!" Anthony countered forcefully.  
  
"Anthony, I will not discuss this with you. I know this isn't exactly how you saw this playing out, but it's done. Do you hear me?"  
  
"NO – NO! Not this time. There is no way in hell I am letting Morgan do this. He's not going to play me for some idiot!" Anthony angrily stared at his father no longer caring what the old man wanted. "This was MY – do you hear me, MY event. It's going to be mine again!"  
  
"NO ANTHONY! We are working together! Nothing is solely ours or solely theirs....."  
  
"You think that someone forgot to mention that to Jason?" Anthony quipped.  
  
"I have had just about enough of this private war you have with Joseph's son. Whether you like it or not one day Jason will be the Boss, and you will report to him and him alone...."  
  
"Not if I can help it!" Anthony said under his breath.  
  
"Come here," Rocco said through clenched teeth. "Come here you little bastard!" Anthony was stunned at the strength with which his father pulled him by the shirt, bring his face within inches of his. "YOU LISTEN AND YOU LISTEN GOOD!! IF I EVER SO MUCH AS THINK THAT YOU INTEND ON MAKING A MOVE TO CLIP JASON MORGAN – YOU BETTER RUN BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO PLACE THAT YOU COULD HIDE THAT I WOULDN'T FIND YOU!! Am I making my position clear?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What? I didn't hear you. Elizabeth, did you hear him?"  
  
She was silent for a second, not knowing which side of the enemy line she should align herself with. Her heart told her Rocco but her head knew that her ally wasn't long for this earth. He would eventually leave her to fend for herself again. "Yes, actually I did hear him," she answered.  
  
"Well I am glad someone did. Anthony, you think that just because you see me as a dying old man that I am a fool or easily duped. Well son you are wrong. Your biggest mistake is that you can't see past the nose on your face and if you're not careful that's going to cost you." 


	12. Chapter 11

Elizabeth pressed her body against the closed door. She could hear her own heavy breathing in her head. It wasn't until that exact exchange between father and son that she came to grasp how truly out of control Anthony could be. She had always had her reservations, maybe even fear, with regards to her husband. This morning however his fierce hatred and the lengths he was willing to go frightened the hell out of her.  
  
Making her way across the room, Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed and began to rethink her grand plan. She was beginning to have doubts about the meager scheme of revenge against Anthony. Would it be worth its cost to her or to Jason Morgan? At the first thought of her idea, Jason Morgan seemed to be the perfect person to use to rattle Anthony's cage, but Elizabeth had taken his veiled threats quite seriously. She couldn't see her way clear to adding more fuel to her husband's already bon-sized fire.  
  
Elizabeth lay back against the coolness of the unmade bed and stared up at the ceiling. The image of Jason Morgan popped into her mind's eye. Even though on first glance Elizabeth had seen him as a tool to use against Anthony, all of the sudden she wasn't so sure that was all he had been. There was no denying that she found the man incredibly attractive, in fact incredibly sexy, but there was more to Jason Morgan than just his outward appearance. There was something about him that drew Elizabeth to him yet she just wasn't able to put her finger on it. In each encounter that they had had thus far, Jason had been nothing but respectful of her even when she didn't deserve such respect. He had been kind and generous the night that she potentially ruined his sister's engagement party.  
  
Elizabeth reasoned with the warring voices in her mind that Anthony had been all those things in the beginning of their courtship too. Anthony had been the perfect gentleman. Just as Elizabeth was beginning to believe the words of her head, her heart let out with its own barrage. She had a difficult time putting a stop to it, maybe because she didn't want those thoughts to ever end. She recalled Jason offering to leave his family's party because she hadn't wanted to rejoin it and be a spectacle again. He had gone to the trouble of making her comfortable for an unexpected overnight stay. He had even gone as far as picking out clothes for the next day so she wouldn't have to wear her evening gown home that morning. Her own husband had never been that kind or in tune with her needs. Jason virtually had said that anything she wanted that morning was to be hers. So why was it what she really wanted had left in the middle of the night without so much as a word?  
  
Elizabeth pulled the thick down comforter over her face and groaned. This had become far too complicated much to quickly. The worst part of it all was that here she was having fantasies about a man who had basically said that all of his actions were done out of the loyalty his father had for Anthony's. Why was she suddenly reading more into his actions than what she knew them to be? This whole scenario that Elizabeth had playing in her head was bizarre, yet she couldn't stop it from scrolling through – more importantly, she didn't want to.  
  
"Oh...excuse me," Helena said startled to find Elizabeth still in the room. "I thought you had gone Miss. I was just going to make up the bed."  
  
"That's fine I was on my way out."  
  
"No really," Helena said, "I can come back later."  
  
"Helena," Elizabeth placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, "it's fine really. Do your job. Besides I have something I need to take care of and it's certainly not going to get done by my lying around all day," Elizabeth smiled.  
  
She walked down the hallway knowing that she shouldn't be thinking of doing what she was, but there was no stopping her once she set her mind to something. No matter what ideas of Jason Morgan were floating around in her head, she still had a benefit to work on. If she just so happened to run into him – well then so be it, but running into Jason was all she silently hoped for.  
  
"ROCCO!" Elizabeth gasped as she walked by the dining room and saw her father in law clutching his chest. "Where are your pills?"  
  
He tried to put his hand in his pocket but another stabbing pain ripped through his chest. Elizabeth wasted little time in reaching into his pocket pulling out a small pill case that held Rocco's nitroglycerin tablets. Instinctively, Elizabeth placed the first of three pills under his tongue. By the time the second had dissolved, she could see a noticeable improvement but administered the last one just the same.  
  
"Thank you," he said once he was finally able to speak.  
  
"We really should call Dr. Aber," Elizabeth remarked shaken by the whole experience. Dealing with her father in law's condition brought back so many memories of her own mother that at times Elizabeth didn't know if she could stand to watch another person she loved die. She did love Rocco Malucci. He was her protector, but it had come to be more than that in the last weeks. It was as if they had formed and unexplainable bond. It tore at her heart to know that sooner than she wanted that bond would be broken.  
  
"Nonsense."  
  
"I have to disagree Rocco. This was one of the worst attacks that I have witnessed. I am calling Dr. Aber."  
  
"Please, don't make a fuss. I am fine now. I just need to lie down. Could you have Jack bring me back to my room?"  
  
"I don't like this," Elizabeth countered.  
  
"I'm an old man Elizabeth. An old man who is dying. I don't want to be poked and prodded to just be told that there is nothing they can do for me. I already know that. Please just ring for Jack."  
  
Elizabeth swallowed the tears that threatened to fall and was suddenly consumed by sheer grief. She wondered why life was so cruel. Why was a good man like Rocco dying when his son was the one who deserved all the agony and pain his father had to endure? Elizabeth complied with his request and spoke into the intercom, summoning Jack into the room.  
  
"Thank you," Rocco whispered.  
  
"I was just heading out," she began, "but I think it would be wise if I stayed close to home."  
  
"That's nonsense. You go attend to whatever it is that you need to do. I will be just fine."  
  
Elizabeth had her doubts regarding his last statement. "I would feel much better if I just stayed home. Besides, Emily and I can discuss the caterer for the benefit over the phone if we have to."  
  
"Elizabeth," Rocco's shaky hand reached for hers. "Please don't make me feel like I have kept you a prisoner in this house. I will be fine. I just need to get some rest. Please go meet with Emily. Make this benefit spectacular. That's what I really want you to do."  
  
Elizabeth looked into his soft green eyes and couldn't refuse him. "I still don't like this, but I will go," she relented. "I am going to call and check up on you though," she smiled broadly again holding back her tears.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Rocco returned with a smile of his own.  
  
Elizabeth shifted nervously in the driver's seat as she watched the man behind the glass window make the appropriate call to the main house. She knew that her visit was an unexpected one and hoped that she had done the right thing in just dropping by unannounced.  
  
"Mrs. Malucci," the man said, "Miss Emily will be waiting for you. If you would park your car in front of the house and leave the keys in the ignition, it will be parked for you."  
  
"Thank you," Elizabeth smiled as she made her way up the long winding driveway. Suddenly her anticipation at the possibility of seeing Jason was all consuming. She felt like she had back in high school when she had asked a boy to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. It was exhilarating yet it was terrifying as well. She did as instructed, left her car and went to ring the doorbell.  
  
"I'll get it." She heard a muffled voice from the other side. "Elizabeth??" Jason couldn't hide his surprise.  
  
"Hello Jason," she said hearing her voice quiver and hoping that he hadn't.  
  
"I didn't know Emily was expecting you today?" His statement came out more as a question as he tried desperately to concentrate on the words he was speaking. He was not finding that to be an easy task with her so close.  
  
"Actually she didn't either."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I was just thinking that we don't have all that much time to plan this benefit and looking at all the things that are left to do, I just thought we better get started." Elizabeth heard her voice race, as her sentences became nothing more than a jumbled mass of words. She blushed feeling like a nervous schoolgirl.  
  
"Jason," Joseph said coming up behind him. "Aren't you going to ask our guest in?"  
  
"Oh – yes, come in."  
  
"It's nice to see you again Elizabeth." Joseph offered his hand. "How is Rocco today?"  
  
"Not so good I am afraid."  
  
"Meaning?" Joseph's brow furrowed with concern.  
  
"He had some chest pains earlier. Rather bad ones I would have to say. I wanted to stay home, but he insisted on my working on the benefit."  
  
"Sounds very much like Rocco," Joseph concurred. It was obvious to him that his life long friend was far worse than he had wanted anymore to know. That thought saddened and worried him. Joseph was somber at the idea of losing his dear friend and distressed at the turmoil he was certain would ensue upon Rocco's demise. "You could call to check on him if you would like," he added sensing that she was worried as well.  
  
"If you wouldn't mind, I would like to do that. I think I might call Dr. Aber too if that's all right with you."  
  
"Certainly, make all the calls you need to. Once you are finished, why don't you meet me and my family out on the patio? We were just about to sit down to lunch. You will join us won't you?"  
  
"If it's not too much of an intrusion. I realize that I just showed up unannounced. It didn't even dawn on me that it was noontime."  
  
"There's always room for one more at our table."  
  
"Thank you Mr. Morgan," Elizabeth said softly.  
  
"Jason, would you show Elizabeth to my study? I am sure she would like to make her calls in private."  
  
Jason closed the door to the study as he let out a heavy sigh running his hands across his weary face. Each time he thought he had a handle on his emotions, he was forced to encounter another bump in the road. Having Elizabeth in his very house and him having to feign no feelings for her would be laborious. In his heart Jason knew he wouldn't be able to do that. Emily would see right through him and he was having his doubts that his father wouldn't be able to do the same. Jason shook his head thinking that this was going to be the most tedious lunch of his life.  
  
"I trust all is well at the house?" Joseph asked as Elizabeth slipped into the vacant seat next to Jason.  
  
"Yes it is. Helena informed me that my father in law has been sleeping since I left and Dr. Aber will be heading to the house as well. Just to make a cursory check on Rocco.  
  
"I am glad to hear that." Joseph smiled.  
  
"Mrs. Morgan," Elizabeth directed her words toward Cassandra. "I am sorry for disturbing your family lunch. I didn't even think of the time when I left the house. The only thing I had on my mind was the benefit and how much work we have still to accomplish," Elizabeth lied, never once letting her eyes reveal her true reasons for being in the Morgan house again.  
  
"I hope you understand that Emily is quite busy with her own affairs," Cassandra Morgan returned curtly. "We are right in the middle of planning her wedding."  
  
"I completely understand that. I assure you that I will not stand in the way of any of those preparations. I am just grateful for the assistance. I had no idea what an undertaking this truly would be," Elizabeth smiled sensing that the matriarch of the Morgan family was less than pleased about her daughter's involvement.  
  
"Mama, please," Emily sounded distressed at her mother's obvious rude behavior. "I told you before I want to be a part of this charity event. It's a wonderful cause....."  
  
"Besides," Jason cut his sister off. "I will also be part of the planning committee. I will be sure that Elizabeth doesn't work Emily too hard." Both young women at the table felt as if Jason had just rescued them from impending doom.  
  
"How did you become involved?" Cassandra asked with an arched brow.  
  
"I was just in the right place at the right time," Jason half- heartedly joked.  
  
"Oh really?" Cassandra couldn't help but see the corners of her son's mouth begin to turn upward with those words. She attempted to catch her husband's attention across the table to no avail and wondered if he was getting the same vibes from their son as she was.  
  
"So Elizabeth, Jason mentioned that Rocco has secured a great many things to be auctioned off."  
  
"Yes, actually he has. It totally amazed me when he handed over the list. Not to mention your family's generous donation." Elizabeth took this opportunity to finally let her eyes rest on Jason's face.  
  
"Well I trust my son's judgment. If he felt that the cause was worth that much, than I will back him one hundred percent. I am sure you are well aware there has been some bad blood between our families in the past, and I am hoping that we can start anew by pulling together for an event of this caliber."  
  
Automatically Anthony's hidden words of disposing of his enemy leapt from her memory. It was so sad to her that the two older men of each family really thought that this event was something that would align their warring factions. In her heart Elizabeth couldn't help wonder if this wasn't really just the beginning of the end.  
  
Lunch proceeded with mostly talk of the benefit and Emily's upcoming nuptials. Listening to how excited she sounded had Elizabeth longing for those days when she believed in true love. All those illusions had been shattered a long time ago, yet suddenly the man sitting beside her had Elizabeth wondering if maybe she could have her fairy tale after all. She shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of such thoughts. This wasn't supposed to be about finding true love, this was supposed to be about sticking it to her husband. Knowing just how Anthony felt about Jason Morgan made this a simple task, but Elizabeth's racing pulse whenever Jason was near complicated everything at the moment.  
  
"Well I hate to break up this nice little party," Joseph began, "but Jason and I really need to be getting to the office." Elizabeth felt her shoulders drop at those words. She was thoroughly enjoying not only spending time with Jason but also in having a meal that didn't end up in one argument or another. She watched quietly as Joseph kissed his wife sweetly, holding back her own sigh. Elizabeth knew she was in a house of the most powerful Mafia Don in state of Illinois, yet by what she was observing no one would have known. She had to think that's what her father in law had meant when he alluded to the fact that his son didn't know how to live within the world as a whole. It was obvious that Joseph Morgan did. And that had Elizabeth wondering if perhaps his son did as well. The mere notion of that idea brought a smile and a tiny glimmer of hope that she wouldn't forever be trapped in hell. 


	13. Chapter 12

Emily and Elizabeth took seats across from one another at a smaller table closest to the pool as the servants went about clearing away what remained of their lunch. Emily sat quietly watching Elizabeth as she watched Jason exit the patio with her mother and father. It was easy to see whatever was happening inside Jason with regards to Elizabeth was also taking place within her as well. As much as Emily wanted her brother to find happiness and someone to love, she couldn't shake the feeling of doom that engulfed her when she thought about the pairing of Jason with Anthony's wife.  
  
"I'm sorry about my mother's behavior. This whole wedding has just got her in a tizzy," Emily offered an explanation.  
  
"There's no need to apologize. I was the one who showed up at your house without warning."  
  
"That still doesn't excuse her rudeness."  
  
"Emily, be lucky you have a mother to share in this time with you. When Anthony and I were married my mother was already dead and I had virtually no one."  
  
Emily detected a hint of sadness mixed with animosity in Elizabeth's voice. "I do. It's just that sometimes I think it's her wedding and not mine." Emily smiled knowing that Elizabeth was right, but at times Cassandra's overpowering manner got the better of her.  
  
"Joseph," Cassandra said, "I would like to talk to you before you leave."  
  
"We are already running late. I don't want to keep the stockholders waiting."  
  
"This will only take a minute."  
  
"Fine," he relented. "Jason, wait for me in the car. What is it?" He turned to his wife.  
  
"I can't put my finger on it but something isn't right between Jason and Elizabeth. Did you happen to see the way he was looking at her all through lunch? Or how he came to her defense on more than one occasion?"  
  
"Can't say as I did," Joseph lied.  
  
"I don't believe that," Cassandra countered. "She's a married woman, Joseph. Married to Anthony Malucci no less. I think you need to have a talk with our son."  
  
"I have....."  
  
"You have? But I thought you just said...."  
  
"Forget what I said. Jason is well aware of my feelings on such things. He is also more than aware of Rocco's illness and more importantly of his impending demise. Jason isn't about to jeopardize all that we have worked for. You needn't worry Cassandra. Jason is a smart young man who knows and understands the score. I really need to be going." He leaned in kissing her once more.  
  
Cassandra closed the door and wondered if their son really did know the score as her husband had put it. She had her doubts.  
  
"So where do you want to begin?" Elizabeth asked opening the portfolio in front of her.  
  
"Well the hospital set the ticket price at twenty-five hundred dollars a couple so that's out of the way. My father has given me a list of people that he wishes to be invited."  
  
"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Elizabeth reached for the list that Emily offered. "Especially taking into consideration how much your family is doing for the benefit. It still amazes me that your brother made such a generous offer. It blows my mind actually." Elizabeth smiled broadly.  
  
"I have to admit I was surprised myself."  
  
"He sort of stole Anthony's thunder," Elizabeth said absently flipping through the papers in front of her.  
  
"I noticed," Emily concurred. "I wish that those two would just settle down and start acting like adults. They have forever been trying to one up each other for years."  
  
"I hate to say this, but Jason has always been on top."  
  
Emily wasn't sure exactly how to take Elizabeth's comment. Could she have been reading the petite brunette all wrong? Did she really have feelings for her husband – a man who thought so little of her? "I don't think that I quite understand."  
  
"I just meant that Jason is the son of The Don. He's always going to have the power and respect. Not to mention that Jason is far more refined than my husband will ever be."  
  
There it was again – Emily saw the look of admiration in Elizabeth's eyes when she spoke of Jason. "I actually don't know Anthony all that well," she stated. "I was never included all that much. Besides up until a few years ago, both my brothers thought of me as just a little pest," Emily laughed.  
  
Elizabeth joined in with her as well. "You should feel blessed to not know my husband," she said suddenly somber. "You certainly aren't missing much."  
  
"I'm sorry," Emily found herself saying.  
  
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I never did apologize to you and your fiancé for the scene I made at your party. I don't know what got into me that night."  
  
"No harm done really," Emily answered. The only true harm had come to her brother, who was falling for a woman Emily knew he could never have.  
  
"Thank you for being so kind, Emily."  
  
"Can I be frank with you Elizabeth?" she asked.  
  
"Certainly."  
  
"Do you have feelings for my brother?"  
  
Elizabeth nearly choked on the gulp of iced tea she had just swallowed. "What?!"  
  
"I think you heard me. Do you have feelings for Jason?"  
  
"NO!!" Elizabeth offered hoping that she sounded convincing. "I admire his generous nature and am thankful that between he and my father in law, they saved me from making an even bigger fool of myself the other night. As for having feelings for Jason – no – no I don't have feelings for him."  
  
"Good," Emily said not believing a word of Elizabeth's speech. "Jason's had a tough time of it lately, especially with A.J.'s marriage and now my own. I just want to be clear on where you stand."  
  
"I am Mrs. Anthony Malucci. Doesn't that tell you where I stand?"  
  
Joseph eyed the agenda for the meeting that his secretary handed him and tried not to think of his wife's pointed comments regarding their son. He too had noticed Jason's not so subtle manner when it came to Elizabeth Malucci. Even if he wasn't about to outwardly admit it, that worried him almost as much as what was going to happen when Rocco was no longer part of the equation. It wasn't that Joseph didn't care for Elizabeth. Actually he liked her very much. It was obvious to him that she cared a great deal for Rocco and, if circumstances had been different, it would have been a pleasure to call her his daughter-in-law. At the moment, however, that was neither here nor there.  
  
Jason sat next to his father and attempted to gather his fractured thoughts. The lunch that he had spent in Elizabeth's company had sent him into a tailspin of sorts. As much as he wanted to keep his distance from her, that's how much he looked for reasons to be close to her. Sitting next to her that afternoon on the patio having lunch with his family felt so right to him. It felt as though it was the way things were supposed to be. Jason was more then aware of Anthony's exploits. He knew that he had little regard, if any, for the woman he had married. It still baffled Jason why a beautiful and obviously intelligent girl like Elizabeth had married Anthony Malucci out of all the men she could have had. It had only taken an instant for Jason to see that Elizabeth was a woman to be revered and respected, but Anthony had done neither of those things.  
  
"Jason," his father's voice interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Huh???"  
  
"Are you with me here son?"  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
"I think you should be prepared to discuss your little charity endeavor. I am sure that one of the stockholders has gotten wind of it by now."  
  
"We still have controlling interest of the company," Jason countered, sensing his father was still on the fence with regards to his action.  
  
"That may be true but we are still accountable to the men that will be occupying these seats in a few minutes. I would suggest that we broach the matter first rather than be put on the defensive."  
  
"If that's how you would prefer to play it, then fine."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Jason sat back in his high-back leather chair and watched as each of the men filed into the room. He heard the arguing voices within him, each one attempting to win a losing battle. While he knew that the Coronary Care Benefit was a great cause that would stand to gain Morgan Enterprises notable recognition, that hadn't been the real reason for Jason's lavish gesture. Not even Anthony's fury at being upstaged by the Morgan Family again had been what Jason had really been after. It was Elizabeth's smiling face that met his own, that had been what Jason had been truly searching for. Yet receiving it had only fueled his need for seeing it again. Suddenly Jason felt as though he was on a merry-go-round he couldn't get off of.  
  
"Would someone care to explain this?" Ralph Arnold said, waving The Chicago Sun Times in the air. "When has it been a practice of this company to make such a commitment without first going through the proper channels?"  
  
"Ralph," Joseph said in an attempt to calm the man before him, "could we please at least try to keep to the protocols of the meeting agenda?"  
  
"To hell with the agenda!"  
  
Joseph swallowed his anger, sensing that at the moment it wouldn't help. "Once the meeting has gotten underway, Jason will giving you all an in- depth explanation of the event."  
  
"I say no time like the present!" Ralph spoke.  
  
Seeing that there was no other way around this, Joseph offered Jason the floor.  
  
"Jason.......Jason......." Finally he had been forced to nudge his son's shoulder to attain his attention.  
  
"Huh?" Jason's obvious lack of attention angered Joseph  
  
"Mr. Arnold would like for you to explain the Coronary Care Benefit that we are backing."  
  
Jason cleared his throat as he stood. It was times like these that he longed for his father's chameleon abilities. He did his best to showcase all of the event's finer points and the great recognition that it would bring to the company by in large.  
  
"Do you understand the potential money we could be talking here?" A gentleman from across the table now spoke.  
  
"As a matter of fact I do," Jason offered.  
  
"This is nuts. No amount of recognition is worth the tens of thousands of dollars we are going to be dishing out!" Ralph Arnold barked again.  
  
"Mr. Arnold," Jason did his best to be diplomatic. "I understand that finding out about something of this magnitude on the front page of the paper before being apprised of it by the members of the board was a tough pill to swallow. That wasn't my intention at all. As a matter of fact, I didn't even give this interview. Please know that my father and I have much more respect for you all then to blind side you in such a manner."  
  
Joseph smiled, impressed by his son's sudden take-charge attitude. It was nice to know that all his teachings hadn't been lost along the way.  
  
"Then how the hell did it end up in the paper?!?!?!" Ralph questioned, not being easily swayed by Jason's flowery speech.  
  
"That's my fault I am afraid," Joseph spoke up. "This event is being sponsored by Malucci Manufacturing, a company we work very closely with as you know. I just wanted Mr. Malucci to understand that we in no way were looking to steal his thunder by our gesture. Apparently it was he who gave the interview to The Sun. I personally think that his mention of Morgan Enterprises shows a great alliance of the two companies."  
  
"I still don't like it." Ralph Arnold made no bones about it.  
  
"As you well know, the Morgan family has controlling interest in this company," Joseph countered. "I feel that the expansion of the Coronary Care Unit is one that would serve the community as a whole. Morgan Enterprises being a major benefactor in that expansion will only serve the company as a whole very well."  
  
"So are you saying that we as board members don't get a vote?" Ralph was taken aback.  
  
"No, no that's not what I am saying at all." Joseph smiled a smile that Jason had seen so many times before. A cordial smile that just below the surface, to those that looked carefully hinted at deviousness.  
  
"Shall we take a vote then?" Jason asked taking his cue from his father. Joseph nodded for him to continue. "A show of hands of all those in favor." Each man at the table knew this vote wasn't a true vote at all. The announcement as to Morgan Enterprises matching funds of the event was public knowledge now. There was no way that they could rescind the offer at this point so each man, even a reluctant Ralph Arnold, raised his hand. The remainder of the meeting followed the agenda without any deviation, for which both Jason and Joseph were thankful.  
  
"Jason," Joseph began as he shut the door on the last man leaving the room.  
  
"Yes?" Jason said gathering the papers before him.  
  
"I feel that you and I need to get a few things straight."  
  
"Such as?" Jason knew that this speech had been coming, yet at this very moment he wasn't quite prepared for it.  
  
"I want to know the real reason you are involved in this charity event."  
  
"For the same reason as Emily."  
  
"Which is?" Joseph asked at Jason's obviously evasive answer.  
  
"We both know how much you want our family and Rocco's to make amends before......well you know....."  
  
"You mean before Rocco dies? Suddenly you can't say it. Up until now, you have had no trouble reminding me that my friend is on his death bed." Jason sensed a note of sarcasm in his father's tone.  
  
"Well, yes that's what I mean. So I was just attempting to do that, bring our families together."  
  
"You may be able to get away with that mock concern with the men that just left this room, but it doesn't wash with me. This little show of yours is for anything but organizational unity."  
  
"I have explained this to you all before. I thought that given all we have done for the hospital in the past that we shouldn't let an opportunity like this pass us by." Jason shifted uneasily before his father, knowing that this was one question he wasn't going to get out of answering. The true test for him would be if he had enough wits about him to lie his way out of it.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And what?"  
  
"Jason, do you really think I was born yesterday?"  
  
"What?" Jason asked, buying himself a bit more time to think.  
  
"I know that you take every opportunity to put Anthony in his place and this was no exception. If that's all I thought this was I could handle that, but it's not. You know it and I know it."  
  
"I don't think that I do," Jason offered, swallowing hard around the lump in his throat.  
  
"So you mean to tell me that working so close with Anthony's wife never entered into your mind?" Joseph asked in a straightforward manner.  
  
"No!" Jason said a bit too quickly. "Elizabeth had nothing to do with my decision what so ever!"  
  
"Jason????" Joseph said all knowing  
  
"What?"  
  
"So you mean to tell me that you don't have any feelings for Elizabeth?"  
  
"FEELINGS?!?!? She's married for God sakes, married to Anthony Malucci to boot. The only thing I feel for her is sorry!" However the quick turn of Jason's head told Joseph all the answers he needed to know. 


	14. Chapter 13

Jason rode in the passenger seat of his father's Bentley suddenly wishing he had driven himself. Joseph's words and questions about Elizabeth haunted him. Jason hadn't completely lied to his father. Indeed he did feel sorry for Elizabeth – sorry that she had somehow ended up married to Anthony Malucci of all men. Jason wished though that was all that he felt for her. He longed for it to be only pity in his heart, yet that was but one of the many emotions teeming through his system when it came to the lovely Elizabeth. To make matters Jason knew that pity held only the smallest portion. He had a sneaking suspicion that his father knew that as well.  
  
"I would prefer that Emily was the only Morgan associated with the hospital charity event," Joseph stated pulling Jason from his own thoughts.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me. There will be much too much publicity surrounding the event. We can't afford to give Anthony any trouble...."  
  
"Us give him trouble?" Jason was astonished at the very thought and even more so that his father had even said it. "You are kidding right? Anthony Malucci is trouble with a 'T'."  
  
"However true that may be," Joseph sighed hating himself for having to pull in the reigns on his own son. However, the look in Jason's eyes when it came to Anthony's wife told him that he needed to stop whatever it was that was apparently brewing just below the surface.  
  
"So why is it that I am the one getting the lecture?" Jason questioned not allowing his father to finish speaking. "Don't you think that maybe it should be Rocco doing the lecturing to his own son?"  
  
"I agree, but I certainly know what a catalyst for combustion you are as far as Anthony is concerned," Joseph said clearly stating the obvious.  
  
"I still think that I am missing something."  
  
"Open your eyes Jason and I am sure you will get my point."  
  
"I'm sorry but I don't. I truly thought that our families working together is what you wanted. I thought that being part of his benefit would bring even more recognition to Morgan Enterprises......"  
  
"Jason please," Joseph stopped his son short. "Enough of your well rehearsed speech already."  
  
"Excuse me?" Jason turned and stared at his father with disbelief in his eyes.  
  
"I'm not saying that you aren't serious about all those things you just said but there's more to it, even if you aren't willing to admit it."  
  
"This is absurd. You do know that right?"  
  
"I don't think so son."  
  
"So what – now you are telling me what I am and am not allowed to be a part of?" Jason growled. "Haven't you forced the direction of my life enough as it is?"  
  
"Jason, you are this family's legacy ....."  
  
"And what if it's not what I want?" Jason spoke his voice barely above a whisper as the sight of his brother's car came into view. Jason closed his eyes and let his hands cover his face as he let out a heavy sigh, reminding himself that he indeed was the chosen one.  
  
"Am I making myself clear Jason? Emily will be the only member of this family involved in the benefit for the hospital. And as for Elizabeth, might I suggest that you look to other unoccupied pastures?"  
  
"Understood," Jason said feeling as if he was back in grade school again being scolded for misbehaving.  
  
He followed his father through the entryway into the large foyer. Jason's mind and heart were again at odds with one another. As wrong as he knew the longing he felt for Elizabeth was, that made no difference to his lonely heart. He had tried many times now to put her out of his mind, yet that hadn't happened. Sad to say Jason knew that even if he never saw Elizabeth again she would forever have a hold on him. How was he supposed to explain that to his father?  
  
"Good to see you son," Joseph said to AJ as he and Jason entered the sitting room.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?" For the second time that day The Chicago Sun Times was being waved in their faces.  
  
"A newspaper," Jason stated plainly. He did his best to hold back his bottled angered when it came to his brother's happy existence.  
  
"Very funny," AJ fumed sneering at Jason.  
  
"What seems to be the problem AJ?" Joseph asked his eldest son.  
  
"I thought that we agreed that the hands of this family would never come into contact with anything related to Matthews Construction?" AJ stared his father square in the face.  
  
"We did," the elder Morgan agreed.  
  
"Then I ask again – what the hell is this?"  
  
"AJ, back up a minute what the hell of are you talking about?" Jason asked.  
  
"Don't play dumb little brother. I know you have been looking for a way for me to pull my weight in this family....."  
  
"WHAT?!?!" Jason was noticeably taken aback.  
  
"Don't give me that innocent crap!!" AJ barked.  
  
"ENOUGH!! Both of you!" Joseph interjected before the boys' fight could escalate further. "What is this all about AJ?"  
  
"Matthews Construction is the general contractor for the Coronary Care Unit expansion project."  
  
"So?" Jason said.  
  
"So?!?!" AJ parroted.  
  
"Yeah, what's the big deal?"  
  
"The big deal is now there will be Morgan money all over the damn place!"  
  
"AJ, son, I had no idea that Courtney's father was the contractor of record." Joseph attempted to calm him down.  
  
"You know how I feel about this. I don't want Courtney's father tied in any way to our family."  
  
"She's married to you for god sakes," Jason gasped. "How much more tied can you be than that?"  
  
"That's not the fucking point and you know it!" AJ countered.  
  
"Then what is the point!?!"  
  
"It's that now this family and its money, dirty money no doubt, will be pouring into this project."  
  
"Whoa – back up just a minute!" Jason ordered. "Malucci Manufacturing is technically running this project. If you look at their reputation in the business world compared to ours at Morgan Enterprises, we are well above board. So why is that you don't mind working with the likes of Anthony Malucci but suddenly having to work with your own family presents a problem?" Jason's raging anger was apparent to all those in the room.  
  
"That's not the point at all!"  
  
"Oh but I think it is"  
  
"AJ – Jason, both of you that's enough. This isn't going to solve anything. AJ, as I just said I wasn't aware Matthews Construction had anything to do with this expansion project. I understand that you feel as if I have gone against our agreement, but there isn't anything I can do to change it now."  
  
"Yes you can – pull out of this project."  
  
"NO!" Jason spouted.  
  
"I'm afraid Jason's right. We can't do that. Especially since it's been announced in the papers, and I am sure by now news has made its way around the hospital."  
  
"Oh I see," AJ eyed his brother from head to toe. "Jason's getting his way again....."  
  
"GETTING MY WAY?!?!" Jason's voice came out with thunderous force. "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING RIGHT!?!"  
  
"HARDLY!" AJ returned with his own booming tone. "All I have ever asked is for is a life unencumbered by the strings of this world." AJ raised his arms showcasing the life his family house represented.  
  
"As far as I can tell you got just that! You are happily married and living the great All-American Dream! What more could you fucking want!?!" Jason was unable to control his rage. He was completely flabbergasted by AJ's attitude. Here he was shouldering all of the family responsibilities and yet that wasn't enough for his dear brother. Without thinking Jason walked to the sideboard and poured himself a large dose of liquid comfort.  
  
"I want you to pull out of this project!" AJ was relentless in his pursuit of what he wanted.  
  
"It's not going to happen!" Jason turned eyes blazing.  
  
"The hell it's not!"  
  
"Face it AJ – you can't always get what you want. I have come to finally learn that."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"Meaning that you walked away leaving me holding the bag. You have everything that you want, a wife to love, a life that's completely yours and what do I have? NOTHING!!"  
  
"Nothing?" AJ and Joseph said in unison.  
  
"That's right, nothing except an engineered life. One that was engineered without so much as a thought to what I might or might not want. You, my dear brother, were offered a life that included a wife, children and a joyful existence......"  
  
"I wasn't offered all of that," AJ countered. "I asked for it."  
  
"Yes you did!" Jason shot back. "Without ever thinking about what you were leaving for me. This life wasn't good enough for you but it was fine for me?!?" Jason choked back his anger once more. "What about a wife and children? How will I ever be able to have those things?"  
  
"Jason, son, you can." Joseph tentatively placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. "No one has ever told you that you couldn't have love in your life." For the first time Joseph saw the torment that lay deep within his youngest son.  
  
"HOW?? How could I in good conscience bring anyone into this impending war?"  
  
"WAR!?!" AJ's voice jumped an octave.  
  
"YES ... NO!" Jason and Joseph said respectively.  
  
"Which is it?" AJ asked eyeing the both of them.  
  
"Jason is just being overly cautious when it comes to Rocco's illness. You know he and Anthony haven't seen eye to eye on a great many things......"  
  
"Aren't you making that explanation far too simple Papa?" Jason stated.  
  
"Enough Jason!" Joseph Morgan barked. "AJ isn't part of the business and the less he knows the better it is for all concerned."  
  
"You really believe that don't you? You really think that he and Courtney are safe because he has never once sat at the table behind those closed doors?" Jason asked pointing to the heavy wooden doors just on the other side of the foyer that walled off Joseph's study.  
  
"Everyone is well aware that AJ isn't part of our world."  
  
"That won't matter to men like Anthony! You can't tell me that you really believe that once Rocco dies, his son won't be on the warpath."  
  
"JASON – ENOUGH!!!!" Joseph's angry voice echoed off the walls.  
  
"What's going on here?" AJ's anxiety heightened by his father's pale face.  
  
"Which version would you like, our father's or mine?" Jason spoke before letting his father have the chance.  
  
"The one that says my wife and I aren't in any danger."  
  
"Well then I guess you will be listening to Papa."  
  
"JASON!" Joseph growled again.  
  
"Papa?" AJ asked his eyes searching for some viable explanation.  
  
"AJ, you and your family have nothing to worry about. I assure you that everything that has been in place for you up until now will stay just as it is."  
  
"Well it better be. I have even more at stake now."  
  
"What do you mean?" Joseph questioned.  
  
"Courtney is pregnant. You are going to be a grandfather, Papa."  
  
Hearing those words, a statement that Jason knew he himself would never be saying, he stormed from the room without so much as congratulations to his brother.  
  
Anthony looked around the large room that was his office. He had never quite understood why he even had one since he hadn't really ever wanted it. No matter how many times Rocco had explained it to him, Anthony just didn't see the need for all of it. Neither the phony business fronts nor the legitimate endeavors readily caught his attention. Anthony preferred being on the streets. He needed to be where the action was. Sitting behind a desk pushing around a pile of meaningless papers meant very little to him. Anthony had always thought his street presence was much more valuable than his business sense. Yet with Rocco's failing health, Anthony seemed to be spending more and more time in a place he despised.  
  
"Mr. Malucci," Anthony's secretary's voice came across the intercom.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Jack Matthews, of Matthews Construction, is here for your meeting."  
  
"Show him in," Anthony returned.  
  
"Nice to see you again Mr. Malucci." Jack Matthews offered his hand to Anthony. "I was sorry to hear that your father wasn't feeling well enough to attend this preliminary meeting."  
  
"As was I," Anthony said sounding like the compassionate son. Those that knew him however, would have been able to see the irritation in his silver gray eyes.  
  
"I have brought some of our first round sketches. I must stay that I am rather proud of them. Once the expansion project is completed, you will never be able to tell what is old versus new construction." Mr. Matthews laid out the plans on the table for Anthony, who gave them nothing more than a mere glance.  
  
"Nice," he mumbled.  
  
"I realize that they still have to be approved by the hospital board...."  
  
"That won't be a problem."  
  
"I understand that Morgan Enterprises will be matching the funds raised from the silent auction."  
  
"Yes." Anthony did little to hide his distaste for that fact.  
  
"My daughter is married to AJ Morgan. I haven't had many business dealings with them, but that was quite a generous offer."  
  
"You are related to the Morgans?" Anthony questioned wondering if he was ever going to get away from that family.  
  
"Yes, Courtney and AJ have been married for a few years now. He's the son I never had." Jack Matthews laughed. "AJ has been a godsend for my company. I can't imagine why Joseph ever let him get away."  
  
"Is there something else you want to discuss?" Anthony asked putting a stop to the man's incessant ramblings about AJ Morgan and his illustrious family.  
  
"Well, I was hoping that we could schedule a meeting with the planning committee. I would really like to at least get the preliminary plans approved so that my estimating department could get to work on a starting point as to the over all cost of the project."  
  
"I will have my father in law call you with the details."  
  
"Thank you and please tell Rocco that I hope he's feeling better soon."  
  
"I will do that."  
  
Once he was alone in his office, Anthony fell back into his overstuffed chair and suppressed a scream. Not only did he have to deal with Joseph and Jason but also AJ Morgan was now part of this equation. Anthony felt his blood boiling in his veins. Why was he even doing this anyway? In the long run, he wasn't going to get a damn thing out of it. The idea of being the center of attention had been squashed the minute that Jason Morgan entered The Chicago Botanic Garden the other night.  
Jason's picture in the paper stared back at him from the desk. Absently Anthony picked it up then dropped it into the shredder next to him. The sound of the metal blades ripping and tearing apart Jason Morgan brought a sadistic sneer to Anthony Malucci's face. His only thought at the moment was how to make that happen in the real world as well. 


	15. Chapter 14

Elizabeth was thankful to see the space that normally housed Anthony's car was still empty. She wasn't quite ready to face him. His tirade from this morning was still fresh in her mind. As if her inner voice had spoken too soon, Elizabeth saw his Jaguar roaring up the driveway.  
  
"Where the hell were you?" he barked as her as he slammed the driver's door. Elizabeth sensed instantly that his mood was anything but improved.  
  
"I was out."  
  
"NO SHIT! Where the hell were you?" Anthony's anger from his earlier meeting spilled over into what should have been a simple conversation between husband and wife. Before she could answer, Dr. Aber made his exit from the house.  
  
"How's Rocco?" she asked thankful for the diversion.  
  
"He's resting comfortably. Actually he had one of the staff bring him down to the living room. That makes me believe he is doing much better."  
  
"What's going on here?" Anthony asked looking between the pair.  
  
"Your father had an angina attack this morning."  
  
"AND YOU LEFT HIM ALONE TODAY!?" Anthony jerked his head quickly to look at Elizabeth. His voice boomed as he again come forth with his concerned son act.  
  
"I ... he...." Elizabeth stammered.  
  
"Anthony really, there isn't much more we can do for your father except monitor his condition. Your wife did everything that could have been done," Dr. Aber stressed. "Besides, you of all people should know how stubborn Rocco can be when he chooses to."  
  
"Dr. Aber," Elizabeth began, "are you sure that there isn't anything else that we can do for him?" She wanted so desperately for there to be some miracle remedy. Not only for Rocco but for herself as well.  
  
"I'm afraid not. I would, however, like to have him brought to the hospital. I need to run an EKG just to gauge if any further damage may have been done by today's attack."  
  
"Rocco's not going to like that," Elizabeth stated recalling what he had said that morning about not wanting to be poked and prodded anymore.  
  
"To hell with what he likes or doesn't like," Anthony almost shouted. "He needs to be taking better care of himself." Elizabeth knew, even for Anthony, he was laying the concern on a bit too thick.  
  
"You can't force him," she countered.  
  
"The hell I can't. If I have to I will have him judged incompetent to make his own medical decisions and I will be put in charge of his care."  
  
Elizabeth was horrified by the very thought of that. The idea that both she and Rocco could be at Anthony's mercy terrified her to no end.  
  
"I don't think that will be necessary Anthony." Dr. Aber's voice shook Elizabeth back to the present. "I am sure that your lovely wife will be able to convince Rocco to go to the hospital. With a face like that, I can't imagine there is a man alive who could resist her."  
  
Elizabeth immediately felt her cheeks warm as she blushed at his compliment. "Thank you," she whispered as Anthony's gaze shot daggers at her.  
  
"Just call my office to set up a convenient time for you to bring Rocco in."  
  
"We will do that." Anthony spoke before Elizabeth was able to.  
  
"Dr Aber," Elizabeth began.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"My leaving him alone today....."  
  
"Elizabeth," the doctor reached gently for her hand. "you did everything right today. Rocco has you to thank for your quick thinking. Don't you worry about a thing."  
  
"Thank you," she said again.  
  
"You're welcome. You can call me any time of the day or night."  
  
"Thank you doctor," Anthony said smartly. Instantly Dr. Aber sensed it was time for him to leave and wasted no time making a hasty exit from the Malucci estate.  
  
"SO WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU TODAY?!" Anthony grabbed Elizabeth hard by the arm as Dr. Aber's car drifted into the backdrop of the horizon. "WHAT WAS SO FUCKING IMPORTANT THAT YOU LEFT MY FATHER ALONE!?"  
  
"You can drop the concerned son act," Elizabeth spit as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. Each attempt only served to tighten his hold. "Save it for someone who might even remotely believe it!"  
  
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" he bellowed again.  
  
Absently Elizabeth thought he sounded like a skipping record. "I was working on the benefit if you must know!" she answered finally freeing herself of his tentacle like grip. "Isn't that what you and my father expect? You know, the dutiful wife and loving daughter." Those words had Elizabeth on the verge of nausea. "If you don't mind, I think I will go check on Rocco." Without waiting for a reply, Elizabeth crossed the driveway heading for the door.  
  
Anthony's body shook with unbridled rage. He was so far over the edge at the moment that at any minute he felt as though he could plunge into the depths of no return. Everywhere around him there were forces working against him. The biggest one of them all live within the walls of his own home. His father was the one thing that stood in the way of all that Anthony so desperately wanted. That coupled with Rocco's adoration for Elizabeth was more than he could bear.  
  
"So how did the meeting go with Emily this afternoon?" Anthony heard his father ask his wife.  
  
"Quite well."  
  
"So that's where the fuck you were!" he growled as he stormed into the room. "You leave my father all alone so you can go make nice with the enemy!?"  
  
"What?" Elizabeth was taken off guard.  
  
"Anthony – ENOUGH!" Rocco countered.  
  
"I am sorry that you the Morgan family as the enemy," Elizabeth began. "However, I don't. As a matter of fact, I had lunch with them this afternoon and they were all," Elizabeth stressed hoping that Vincent understood her subtle meaning, "quiet pleasant."  
  
"YOU WHAT??" Anthony fumed.  
  
"I had lunch this afternoon with Emily and her family."  
  
"YOU ARE MY WIFE – YOU HEAR ME? MY WIFE AND YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN SIT AT THE MORGAN TABLE!!" Anthony said inching closer to her.  
  
"Anthony!" Rocco leaned forward. He knew by the look in his son's eyes that he was on the verge of a strike.  
  
Elizabeth too sensed this was just the beginning of the storm that she had done everything in her power to stoke it. Somehow though she couldn't stop herself. She had grown so tired of everything that encompassed her life. Elizabeth had had a taste that afternoon of something normal, well as normal as it could be given the life those around her led and she wanted that normalcy.  
  
"NOT ONLY DO YOU DISRESPECT ME BY SHOWING UP UNANNOUNCED AT THE MORGAN ESTATE FOR A PARTY I DIDN'T EVEN WANT YOU AT, BUT NOW YOU ARE BREAKING BREAD WITH MEN YOU KNOW I DESPISE!!"  
  
"Anthony – ENOUGH!" Rocco's voice grew louder to match his son's.  
  
Choosing to ignore his father Anthony continued with his tirade. "YOU THINK YOU ARE SO SMART? YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN OUTWIT ME? NEVER!!" he cackled. "ELIZABETH, I HAVE BEEN PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. WE ALL HAVE. YOU WERE NOTHING MORE THAN A MEANS TO AN END FOR YOUR FATHER...." Without warning the tears fell passed Elizabeth's lashes. Over the years she had learned to never show her emotions but Anthony's spiteful words had been enough to cause the flood of tears to fall. "....JUST AS HE IS FOR ME!" Vincent sneered. "ONCE JEFF GETS THAT SENATE SEAT THERE WILL NO ONE THAT CAN STOP ME!!"  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure of that son," Rocco said with his own calculated voice.  
  
"Who are you kidding?" Anthony turned to the feeble man sitting in the wheelchair. "You can barely move under your own power. You really think that you can stop me? I doubt it." Anthony laughed caustically.  
  
"Elizabeth," Rocco turned to his daughter in law. "Would you mind leaving me alone with my son? He and I need to have a talk." He strained to keep his composure knowing how true his son's words were while never letting on he was anything but the Capo he was.  
  
"NO!" Anthony forced. "I've had enough of your talks old man. The time for talking is over! It's time for action. I am through sitting idly by and having everything that is mine systematically taken away from me. Those days are over! Do you BOTH understand me? I'm nobody's fucking patsy anymore! This conversation is over!"  
  
"Nothing is over in this house until I say it's over!" Rocco shouted.  
  
"Not anymore," Anthony said coldly. "Now if you will excuse us, my wife and I are hardly finished with our private conversation." Anthony didn't wait for a reply from his father before forcefully removing Elizabeth from the room.  
  
Rocco watched helplessly unable to do anyting for his daughter in law. In the back of his mind he knew there was one thing he could do, yet it pained him greatly to even toy with the thought.  
  
"Anthony, you're hurting me!" Elizabeth cried as he pulled her into the hallway.  
  
"I plan on doing a hell of a lot more than this if you don't wise your ass up and fast!" he seethed through clenched teeth. "You even so much as think about setting foot at the Morgan estate again, you will wish you hadn't. I am tired of playing games with you Elizabeth. You are my FUCKING wife! Don't think that I didn't see the way you were eyeing Jason Morgan the other night," he sneered. "There won't be any extracurricular activities for my wife. Am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Oh yes – I get it," Elizabeth mocked. "It's do as I say, not as I do!"  
  
Before the words had even fallen from her mouth, Anthony's large hand stung her cheek. "The old man's days are numbered and that means so are yours. You want Jason Morgan – well than I say be warned because everything in this life comes at a price!" Anthony's voice had an eerie almost demonic sound to it.  
  
Elizabeth stared into his cold steely eyes that were completely devoid of any and all emotion. A chill ran down her spine knowing that one day there would be nowhere to hide from her husband's wrath. She backed away from Anthony yet never took her eyes off of him fearing that if she did he would take that very opportunity to strike. He cackled cold- heartedly as he watched her nearly knock over a table lamp in her haste to reach for her keys.  
  
Anthony enjoyed her fear immensely as she tore from the house. He loved the power he knew he wielded and this was only just the beginning.  
  
With shaking hands, Elizabeth made several attempts at getting the key into the ignition of her car. Anthony's sneering face, the sound of his howling laughter and his suddenly not so veiled threats toggled through her mind, conjuring up a sense of terror that she had never experienced before.  
  
The little that Elizabeth once thought she knew about her husband was now null and void. His sudden descent into what she would have termed madness was a sight to see. If she had been a bystander in it all, Elizabeth might have found it interesting to watch Anthony fall, but she knew that, as a partaker, she was bound to end up pinned under the rubble as well.  
  
Absently she checked the rearview mirror for one of Anthony's many men. Elizabeth couldn't imagine that he would let her out of his sight that easily but nothing looked overly suspicious. She headed for the heart of the city in hopes of getting lost in the masses as the streets crowded with impending nightlife. She would have given anything to just vanish. Vanish into the night and never be heard from again. Yet her conscience wasn't about to let her do that. Rocco had protected her and now her gut told her that it was her turn to do the same. Anthony's words of declaring his father incompetent haunted her. She couldn't let that happen. She had to alert Rocco to just what his son was capable of, though something told Elizabeth that he already knew.  
  
She traveled the streets of Chicago without a clue where she was headed. Her only thought at the moment was that she needed to feel safe. The last place she had felt totally protected was with Jason Morgan. Immediately she knew exactly where to go.  
  
Elizabeth offered her car keys to the man she knew to be Ronald and made her way inside the Drake Hotel. Much to her shock, she found Jason Morgan sitting at the end of the hotel bar nursing a shot and a bottle of beer. 


	16. Chapter 15

Emily had stood silently on the stairs listening to the war of words between her brothers. In their haste to leave the house neither of them even noticed her. Emily's heart was divided. As happy as she was for AJ's joyous news, that how equally unhappy she was for Jason's heartache. She had known how miserable Jason was with his life, but tonight she had gotten the full impact of just how much he had been hurt by AJ's need to walk away. Emily felt her own anger welling up for her father. Suddenly the man she had once thought would do anything for his children had a completely different spin to him. "Papa?" She walked cautiously into the sitting room.  
  
"Yes?" Joseph returned in a rather harsh tone.  
  
"I couldn't help but overhear...."  
  
"Yes, it seems you are going to be an aunt," Joseph said in an effort to focus on the one good thing that had come out of his sons' conversation.  
  
"I know, but that's not really what I am talking about."  
  
"Then what is it?" He eyed his daughter carefully almost forgetting how in tune she was to most things going on around her without ever letting on.  
  
"It's Jason."  
  
"What about Jason?" Joseph wasn't all that sure he was up for this conversation. He had yet to process all that he had heard from his youngest son.  
  
"How unhappy he is."  
  
"Unhappy?"  
  
Emily sighed, "Yes, unhappy. It was quite obvious to me that Jason's hurt and angry. He deserves to have a life like AJ and like me."  
  
"He can."  
  
"Apparently he doesn't think so."  
  
"That's complete nonsense."  
  
"Papa," Emily said softly. "Why did you let AJ go?"  
  
"I did no such thing."  
  
"Papa, you may have sheltered me from what you do, but please don't insult my intelligence. I am a big girl now. I think it's time you started treating me as one. I am about to be married in a few months. Don't you think it's time that I became a true part of this family?"  
  
"NEVER!!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Women have no place in my world." Joseph's old school ways were glaringly obvious.  
  
"I understand that. I never meant that I wanted to be part of your business, but I think I have a right to know why you didn't want AJ involved either. More importantly, Jason has a right to know, too."  
  
"I have already explained this to Jason time and time again," Joseph Morgan sighed.  
  
"Well, it seems to me that Jason isn't satisfied with the answer."  
  
"Emily, dear, this really isn't anything you should be concerned with. I will talk to Jason. I think right now he just needs some time to cool off."  
  
"I doubt that's going to happen."  
  
"Things will be fine once we can sit down and discuss everything," Joseph said yet he was less than sure about his statement.  
  
"I hope you are right," Emily returned leery herself.  
  
"Oh by the way," her father said. "I told Jason that you and you alone will be working on the Coronary Care Benefit. One Morgan involved is plenty."  
  
"Why?" Emily questioned.  
  
"I have my reasons."  
  
"Would that reason have anything to do with Elizabeth Malucci?"  
  
His daughter's straightforward question stunned him. "Why would you ask such a question?"  
  
"For the same reason that you pulled Jason off the benefit. I have seen the sparks between those two. I may be young Papa, but blind I am not."  
  
"Then you understand why I am trying to keep distance between the two of them. Elizabeth is a married woman, and she's married to a man you very well know can't stand your brother. I am just trying to avert a natural disaster."  
  
"You can't fool with Mother Nature," Emily half smiled.  
  
"What?" Joseph said with obvious confusion on his face.  
  
"I am just saying that no matter what you do, Jason is going to find a way to do what he wants."  
  
"Emily, Elizabeth is a married woman!" Joseph stressed again.  
  
"Yes – but she's married to a monster who treats her as if she's a nonentity. You have seen it. Papa, Elizabeth's unhappy......"  
  
"What, you know this from a few committee meetings?" Joseph shouted unable to believe that his own daughter was condoning the potential pairing of Jason and Elizabeth.  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes. Even though she said very little about her life, the things Elizabeth did say spoke volumes to that fact. Papa, I know that you love Rocco like a brother and I know that you want to believe he can handle his son, but isn't it obvious he can't? Especially not in his present state."  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" Joseph was suddenly flustered as he thought about the timid girl who stood in his foyer. The young woman who had been concerned for her father in law – his friend.  
  
"I just want you to keep an open mind," Emily stated.  
  
"WHAT!? You want me to keep an open mind about my son having an affair with a married woman?? Emily what on earth has gotten into you?"  
  
"I don't know, but what I do know is that both Jason and Elizabeth are miserable. I can't help thinking that maybe they need each other."  
  
"That's complete and utter NONSENSE! You hear me? NONSENSE and I will not stand for it! I have to make a few business calls. Would you mind leaving me?" he asked.  
  
"Fine," Emily kissed her father gently on the cheek before leaving the room.  
  
Joseph ran his hands over his face in frustration. Jason's outburst and now Emily's words left him reeling. His own daughter was endorsing Jason's feelings for Elizabeth. The idea baffled him to no end. No more so than Jason's resentment of his brother. How had he missed that for so long? Joseph lowered himself into one of the many chairs in the sitting room to think about what Emily had said, yet the only thing he could come up with was that Jason, no matter what his son wanted needed to stay as far away from Elizabeth Malucci as possible.  
  
Jason pushed the empty shot glass to the edge of the bar. He had lost count as to how many he had already had, not that it mattered much anyhow. He could have crawled into a bottle of scotch but that still wouldn't irradiate the utter despair he felt. Why he had picked the bar of The Drake Hotel to drown his sorrows he hadn't a clue. Or did he? It was only a short elevator ride to his penthouse. A place that he could only imagine still held Elizabeth's scent. If he closed his eyes, Jason was able to see her moving about the rooms in her flowing black satin evening gown. That night Elizabeth had been a complete vision to him and since that time she had been etched in his memory.  
  
Jason watched as the bartender poured more of the amber liquid into his shot glass. "Mr. Morgan," the man questioned. "Are you all right sir?" Jason nodded with glassy eyes. Not a convincing response, the young man behind the bar thought.  
  
Jason thought long and hard about the question that had just been asked him. He knew he was anything but all right, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on exactly when his life had turned upside down. It wasn't anything new, this anger he had about AJ's happy existence. So why was it that tonight he had completely lost his cool? Could it have been AJ's total disregard for all he had sacrificed so that his brother could have all the things that Jason was never to have? AJ's admission that Courtney was pregnant certainly was the final straw for Jason. The image of AJ and Courtney holding a precious infant in their arms was more than he could bear to picture. Or could it have been that suddenly his longing for a wife had been intensified by his desires for Elizabeth? Somewhere in the recesses of his mind Jason knew that was the true reason. Up until the day he had met Elizabeth, Jason had resigned himself to a life that had been scripted for him, but upon her entrance that well planned script had taken on some rewrites. Rewrites that the original author hadn't planned on.  
  
Jason's fury with his father returned. Joseph's order/request that he be banned from the charity event, and more importantly Elizabeth Malucci, carried no weight with Jason. This would be the first time that he had ever disobeyed a direct order from his father, but there wasn't a damn thing Jason could do to stop himself from making Elizabeth his. He understood that Joseph believed that this was just another elaborate game of cat and mouse that he and Anthony had played over the years, yet to Jason it was anything but a game. He wanted all the things his brother had. Jason wanted a wife, a child and a safe home not laden with the ever- present threat of violence behind every door. He couldn't help but sense that Elizabeth wanted those things as well.  
  
He had watched her closely at lunch. It wasn't difficult to see that she was completely surprised by the easy nature of his family. That was one thing that Jason had to commend Joseph for. Family was sacred to him and he treated them as such. He had made every attempt to keep a normal family existence even though there was very little that was normal about the life Joseph led. Jason couldn't stop from wondering if he couldn't do the same. Why couldn't he have the life he wanted and still work within the constraints his father had enlisted for him? He had watched Joseph do it for so many years now – Jason knew it was possible. However, was it possible to do with the woman he had in mind?  
  
He berated himself for entertaining such thoughts. War was imminent. That was a fact that Jason knew in his heart. Anthony Malucci was a time bomb just waiting to explode and Jason making a move on his wife would only hasten its detonation. He would also incur wrath from his own family. Joseph would have never stood for what Jason was contemplating. To his father, marriage, no matter how bad of a one it was, was just as sacred as his family. The ideas that Jason toyed with were the antithesis of what his father believed. Jason found himself almost laughing at his thoughts. Here he was planning out a future with another man's wife without so much as an inkling that the woman was even remotely interested in the same thing.  
  
Again Jason pushed his shot glass to the edge of the bar. He turned and surveyed those sitting in the smoky room as he waited for the bartender to fill it again with scotch. It was at that precise moment that his eyes locked with Elizabeth's.  
  
Elizabeth stood wide-eyed as she swallowed hard around the lump that had suddenly come to sit at the back of her throat. She couldn't believe that Jason was actually sitting at the bar before her. If she hadn't long ago given up on God, Elizabeth surely would have suspected divine intervention.  
  
"Elizabeth?" There was little Jason could do to hide his surprise.  
  
"Hello Jason," she said feeling relief wash over her. The idea that Jason Morgan was within reach was not only a comfort but it was intoxicating as well. At that moment Elizabeth preferred to indulge in the dizzy feeling he elicited rather than dwell on the fear that Anthony and his actions had instilled in her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he questioned.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing," she remarked coyly. "I thought you said you only used this place for business. Isn't it a little late in the day to be doing business?" Her question caught him off guard, leaving him without an answer. "Cat got your tongue?" she laughed as the earlier events vanished from her mind's eye.  
  
"No!" Jason hated that he was all of a sudden rendered speechless. No wonder all those around him were able to read him like a book when it came to his feelings for Elizabeth, he thought to himself.  
  
"Do you think that I could get a drink?" she asked the bartender. While Jason's presence had eased her initial anxiety, she still needed a stiff drink to settle her underlying nerves.  
  
"What would you like?" the young man asked.  
  
"Tangeray and tonic please. You never did answer my question," she said turning to Jason.  
  
"Nor did you," he countered relieved his that his voice had returned.  
  
It was now Elizabeth's turn to be at a loss for words. "I just needed some fresh air," she finally offered.  
  
"And you had to come the whole way into the city to get it?" Jason asked arching his brow.  
  
"Maybe. Thank you," she said as her drink was placed in front of her. The both sat in an awkward silence neither knowing what to say next. "I never did get to properly thank you for all that you did for me the night of your sister's engagement party," Elizabeth smiled finally breaking their silence.  
  
"I was just following orders," Jason returned in his most business like tone. He had to keep his thoughts in check. It would be so easy for him to whisk her up to his suite and enact all his fantasies from that night, but the small voice in his head resonated Joseph's words.  
  
"Your orders were to buy me a change of clothes?" Elizabeth smiled coyly as she brought the glass to her lips again. "I don't think so. By the way, how did you know what size to even buy? Everything fit perfectly."  
  
Jason shifted on the barstool unnerved by her probing questions. "I just assumed you and Emily were about the same size. I am glad to hear that you found the outfit satisfactory." Jason heard his own voice and didn't even recognize it. To his ears it sounded so stiff almost monotone.  
  
"Yes I did. Thank you again." Elizabeth swallowed the last of her gin and tonic. Jason watched as she picked up the lime wedge and began to suck on it. He was instantly aroused. His mind entertained so many thoughts that he couldn't stop his imagination from playing tricks with his body. "Could I have another please?" Elizabeth motioned to the bartender as she discarded the lime into the empty glass.  
  
"Certainly."  
  
"So really, what are you doing in the city at this hour?" Elizabeth asked again.  
  
"Tying up some loose ends for my father," he lied.  
  
"It must be nice to have such a close working relationship with your family."  
  
"It has its moments," Jason said recalling the not so pleasant conversations he had had with his father and brother that day. He motioned for his own empty shot glass to be filled.  
  
"I enjoyed having lunch with your family this afternoon. Your father was very generous. That must be where you get your own generous nature." Elizabeth reached out and stroked Jason's hand.  
  
Her slight touch sent shockwaves through his body that had to be off the Richter Scale. "Thank you." Jason did his best to hide his blush. "It's really Morgan Enterprises that's the generous one."  
  
"I see you are modest as well," Elizabeth purred.  
  
"How did your meeting with Emily go?" Jason said in an attempt to divert the conversation away from the direction he knew it was headed.  
  
"Rather well. We got a great deal accomplished." Elizabeth silently recalled Emily's query into her intentions about Jason. She knew that being Anthony Malucci's wife didn't make a damn bit of difference to her right now. The only thing that mattered was her desire of the man sitting next to her.  
  
"That's good to know. Unfortunately I won't be able to be as involved with the benefit as I originally thought....."  
  
"Why?" The word caught in her throat as the fear that Jason had been able to placate was back with vengeance. Without Jason's presence, Elizabeth knew that gave Anthony an open opportunity to wreck havoc on everyone around him and that included her.  
  
"My father needs me on another company project," he lied again.  
  
"That's too bad. I was looking forward to working with you." Again Elizabeth stroked Jason's hand which in turn sent another aftershock through his frame.  
  
"Elizabeth, why are you really here?" Jason's voice grew harsh as he fought desperately against his innermost urges.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Why did you pick here of all places to turn up when you have the entire city of Chicago at your disposal?" Jason pulled his hand back giving himself the distance he so frantically needed. Elizabeth stared into Jason's ice blue eyes without an inkling as to how to answer that question. "What, cat got your tongue now?" Jason took a long swig from the bottle of beer that up until now had sat silently on the bar puzzled why he felt the sudden need to be so nasty.  
  
"NO!" she shot back quickly.  
  
"Why then? Why here? There must be hundreds of clubs, bars in this city. Why are you here?" he huffed.  
  
"I...well...," she stuttered for the second time that night.  
  
"You what?" His impatience got the better of him.  
  
"I needed to feel safe, okay? I just needed to feel safe!" Elizabeth blurted out before she had the chance to stop the words from falling.  
  
"Safe?" Jason almost choked.  
  
"Yes," she whispered looking away.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason reached for her shoulder and forced her eyes and his to meet. "What do you mean safe?" His arrogant voice from minutes before had been replaced with one filled with concern. "Anthony, what did he do?"  
  
"Nothing," Elizabeth attempted to cover.  
  
"Wrong answer," he corrected. Jason hadn't trusted Anthony Malucci long before he had even known who his wife was, but now adding Elizabeth and his feelings for her to the mix had Jason running wide open. He wasn't about to let anything happen to the beautiful creature before him.  
  
"Really Jason," Elizabeth reached out and touched him softly which in turn clouded Jason's already jumbled thoughts. "It's nothing I can't handle. Besides I'm sure that Anthony was...." She paused searching for words to create a response Elizabeth knew that Jason wasn't about to believe. "He was just beside himself when he heard about Rocco's angina attack....."  
  
"You expect me to believe that?" Jason cut her off.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I don't think so. Malucci doesn't give a damn about his father. If I didn't know better I would have to say he's counting the days until Rocco croaks!"  
  
"JASON!" Elizabeth was taken aback by his crass remark. "No child wants to watch their parent die before their eyes," Elizabeth said recalling her own trauma of the last days of her mother's life.  
  
"No normal child," Jason corrected. Elizabeth knew how true Jason's remark was. It had become abundantly clear in the past months that Anthony was anything but normal. "Tell me why you thought you would be safe coming here?" Jason questioned.  
  
"You," she whispered knowing that if she ventured down this road there would be no turning back.  
  
"Me?" Jason countered more than a bit shocked.  
  
"Yes. The other night when you brought me here..." she stammered, "I can't explain it. I just felt protected. I wanted to feel that way again."  
  
"Why?" Jason desperately needed to know what was going on inside her head.  
  
"What am I going to do without him?" she gasped.  
  
"Elizabeth, what are you talking about?"  
  
"I don't know. Forget it okay? It's not your problem," she retorted as she hastily got up from the barstool.  
  
"Your walking in here made it my problem," Jason stressed certain he was falling deeper and deeper into a black hole. "Let's get out of here. Alex," he turned to the bartender, "if anyone asks I was here alone. Understand?"  
  
"Perfectly, Mr. Morgan."  
  
"Let's go."  
  
"Where are we going?" she questioned.  
  
"Somewhere where nobody knows either of us," Jason said taking her hand in his and leading Elizabeth out of the bar. 


	17. Chapter 16

Elizabeth stood and watched Jason hail for a taxi, an odd gesture since she naturally assumed his Porsche was neatly tucked away in the garage as it had been the other night. "Where are we going?" she asked as she slid into the rear seat.  
  
"632 North Dearborn," Jason said to the cabby while he ignored Elizabeth's pointed question.  
  
"Where are we going?" she chanted again.  
  
"It's a surprise," Jason smiled, attempting to fake the illusion of a happy couple.  
  
"Surprise?" Elizabeth countered.  
  
"Yes, a surprise," Jason stressed. He was almost dumbfounded that she clearly wasn't getting his well-placed farce.  
  
"Ja....."  
  
"Must you spoil all of my fun?" he quickly said not wanting to have even his first name bantered around the cab's interior. Jason knew full well that his face wasn't one that was easily lost in a crowd and tonight he needed all the anonymity he could get. "I just want to surprise you baby, that's all." Jason reached for Elizabeth's hand hoping to calm her into silence.  
  
"Fine." She was suddenly not as concerned about their destination as she was with Jason's hand resting in her own. The mere touch of his skin had set her nerves a quiver. Elizabeth felt as if she had been transported back to her much younger years, when the current rush of adrenaline meant the beginning of a new love, before the harsh reality of life had crushed her spirit.  
  
She stole a sideways glance at Jason, who had decided staring straight ahead better served him at the moment and wonder what her life might have been if she had met Jason Morgan first. Suddenly being married to the mob wasn't looking so bad, that was if she had been Mrs. Jason Morgan rather than Mrs. Anthony Malucci.  
  
The taxi wound its way through the Chicago City streets. Elizabeth watched the scenery pass before her until the car stopped in front of an ominous stone building that vaguely resembled a church. Jason paid the required fare and he and Elizabeth vacated the cab.  
  
"Would you mind telling me what the hell we are doing here?" Elizabeth gave him a puzzled look. "What the hell is Excalibur?" she questioned pointing to the large neon sign that hung on the corner of the building.  
  
"A club."  
  
"A night club?" she echoed in disbelief. "I thought you wanted to go where no one would know either of us? Elizabeth asked parroting his words from their earlier exit from the bar at The Drake Hotel.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"I still don't think I am getting this."  
  
"Look at this place Elizabeth." Jason gestured toward the stone structure looming large over their heads. "Have you ever been here before? Hell before tonight, did you even know this place existed?"  
  
"No," she admitted.  
  
"Well then it's pretty safe to say that none of your friends do either. It's pretty safe to assume it's not on the 'social register' Anthony has you keeping. Getting my meaning yet?" Jason questioned.  
  
"What friends?" Elizabeth's question was rhetorical at best.  
  
"Huh?" Jason said.  
  
"Never mind," she was quick to cover. "Okay so I'm set, but what you? How did you know about this place?"  
  
"Don't worry about how I know," he shot back in true Mafia form.  
  
"I am worried."  
  
"Don't be." Jason resisted the urge to stroke her face and allay the fear he could see behind her deep blue eyes. "No one would ever think to look for either of us here. Can we just leave it at that?"  
  
"Do I have a choice?" she countered already knowing the answer.  
  
"Let's go inside." He stretched his arm in the direction of the wide stone staircase laden with people awaiting entry into the club.  
  
"What about ID's? Surely they will card us. There goes your idea that no one will know us," Elizabeth said as she chided Jason in a way she would have done with Anthony. Old habits die hard she thought.  
  
"It's under control," Jason said as he tentatively placed his hands on her shoulders and wished this could have been a true date.  
  
They inched their way through the line until finally reaching the window. Jason placed a fifty-dollar bill through the open slot and he and Elizabeth made their way through the heavy wooden doors, which to Elizabeth resembled something out of the medieval days.  
  
"How did you do that?" She couldn't hide her astonishment. Being in public with Jason was the complete opposite of any time with her husband.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Just waltz right in without any questions asked?"  
  
"Simply how I did it. Why?" He felt compelled to ask.  
  
"I'm just surprised is all."  
  
"Surprised? Surprised by me or by the fact that I am not the barbarian your husband can be?" Jason couldn't resist the opening to a stab at Anthony.  
  
"Something like that," Elizabeth said looking away as a sudden wave of guilt washed over her.  
  
"I am nothing like Anthony," Jason stated firmly. "Would you like something from the bar or if you are hungry they do serve food on the lower level."  
  
"A drink would be fine," she answered.  
  
Elizabeth watched Jason make his way across the crowded floor to one of the many bar areas that filled the room. Her surroundings had her spellbound. The building itself was breathtaking. Even in the dark of night, the spotlights illuminated the many stained glass windows and showcased what a pristine place this must have been in its day.  
  
"Excuse me," a man said as he almost spilled his drink down the front of Elizabeth's shirt.  
  
"No harm done," she smiled. Elizabeth sensed his eyes parading up and down her petite frame as a myriad of emotions ran wild through her. Those emotions toggled between tension and elation. This nightlife was something that she had never truly experienced. During the time when she would have been the right age to party, Elizabeth was dutifully sitting by her mother's bedside. Then before she had had a chance to experience much of her own life, Jeff had her married to Anthony. The party was pretty much over after that.  
  
"Would you like to dance?" the man asked breaking Elizabeth's train of thought.  
  
"Yes, she would, but she'll be dancing with me!" Jason asserted as he handed Elizabeth her drink. The other man backed away without so much as a further word. "Shall we?" Jason offered her his arm.  
  
"You didn't have to do that. I could have handled him. I have handled worse you know?"  
  
"You should have to," Jason remarked as he led her to the overly crowded dance floor.  
  
Jason's words bounced about in Elizabeth's brain as she and Jason snaked their way to the middle of the packed dance floor. Again Elizabeth felt enveloped by Jason's obvious blanket of protection. The sensation was so strange to her. If that little incident just now had been with Anthony, Elizabeth knew that she wouldn't be dancing in her husband's arms as she was right now with Jason. Instead she would probably be in the midst of a shouting match. Elizabeth easily rested her head on Jason's rock hard chest and decided to enjoy the fantasy while it lasted.  
  
While the room was alive with people, everything but he and Elizabeth melted away. He couldn't even berate himself for his obvious jealous display moments ago. Jason wasn't about to relinquish any time that he had with Elizabeth. Resting his chin on the top of her head, Jason breathed deep and let her vanilla scent fill his nostrils. If he couldn't have captured that smell in a bottle, he would have done so he could partake of it anytime he chose to.  
It amazed him how effortlessly they fit together. For the first time in his life, Jason's actions came without a long drawn out thought process. It was almost as if his body took over with no regard to the thoughts his mind was screaming. His father's face was an ever-present picture in his mind but Jason wasn't about to let Joseph ruin this night. Tonight was for him and him alone. Jason would deal with the consequences in the morning. "Let's go upstairs," Jason suggested.  
  
"Upstairs?"  
  
"It's quieter up there," he offered when she gave him a strange look.  
  
"If you want," Elizabeth said disappointed at losing the touch of his body against hers.  
  
Elizabeth followed Jason up the staircase and waited while he again gave money to the two men posted on the landing. The third floor was a stark contrast to the one they had just emerged from. While there was still a dance floor, it was more subdued and walled off with glass. The remainder of the room was dark and mysterious. It appeared almost gothic in nature to Elizabeth. She half laughed as she wondered when Count Dracula would appear from his coffin. She understood now why Jason had brought her there. Anthony wouldn't have been caught dead in a place like this. Especially since on closer inspection, Elizabeth noticed that opposite sex couples seemed to be a rarity.  
  
"Jason," Elizabeth whispered pointing toward the cluster of males in the corner of the room. "Are you sure this is where we should be?"  
  
Jason hid a faint smile. "We will be fine." He patted her arm lightly.  
  
"I have my doubts about that," she countered as her eyes scanned the room once more.  
  
"How about another drink?" Jason laughed as he directed he to the main bar on the floor.  
  
"Yeah, sure..." she answered thinking to herself she would need more than a stiff drink to make it through the rest of the evening, Jason or no Jason.  
  
"Here you go. Why don't you follow me?" Jason suggested as he made his way up onto a staged area shrouded in heavy purple velvet curtains. Again that evening Elizabeth was shocked at her surroundings. Looking around she now truly felt as if she had walked into a vampire's lair. This area was filled with brocade and velvet chaise lounges and large throw pillows in rich jewel tones lined the floor in front of a roaring fire. "Why don't we sit down?" Jason asked. Elizabeth was relieved to see that she and Jason were the only people there. "You know it's okay to breathe, Elizabeth." Jason laughed sensing that she was completely out of her element. In a way that excited him – excited him to know that no matter what happened between them, this night would be one that she wasn't soon to forget.  
  
"I'm fine," she said.  
  
"If you say so."  
  
Jason took a long swig from his bottle of beer and stared intently into the bright red and orange flames that licked at the logs in the hearth. Jason's eyes darted in Elizabeth's direction as he suddenly questioned exactly what it was he was doing. Here he was openly flirting with his enemy's wife and in reality flirting with disaster. The image of his father that he had been successful in imprisoning earlier was staring him down again.  
  
'.........When you and Anthony are involved in anything, it becomes explosive to say the least.........'  
  
Joseph's words from many days prior came back to haunt Jason and left him to wonder just how true they could have been. Could it have been remotely possible that he was playing right into Anthony's well placed hand? Up until now Anthony hadn't been anything more than a mere annoyance to Jason and his family, but as of late his moves had gotten bolder. Jason wondered if underestimating the lengths Malucci would go to get what he wanted was a wise decision. Again Jason's eyes darted to the beautiful young woman sitting beside him – had Anthony elicited his bride's help in bringing him down?  
  
"Do you come here a lot?" Elizabeth asked interrupting Jason's rampant thoughts.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I said, do you come here a lot?" Admittedly the current surroundings had left Elizabeth a little more than curious.  
  
"Never been here before tonight."  
  
"Then why here?" she questioned with obvious confusion on her face.  
  
"Because it's the one place I know men from our world would never expect me to be," he offered.  
  
"You mean men like Anthony?" Elizabeth asked half waiting for the walls to come tumbling down at the mere mention of her husband's name.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well I will agree with you on that. The Anthony that I know would rather die than be caught in a place like this. So, why doesn't it bother you? I mean being here?" Elizabeth's curiosity was getting the better of her.  
  
"What's to bother me?" Jason quipped.  
  
"Most men I know cringe at the thought of two guys together, let alone having to turn their head and see them in just about every corner," Elizabeth stated.  
  
"I'm not most men," Jason countered with a devilish grin.  
  
"That you aren't," Elizabeth returned with her own purr.  
  
"My turn to ask a question," he said as the nagging voice in his head grew louder.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Why are you married to Malucci?"  
  
The directness of his question startled her. "Excuse me?" she said in hopes of buying herself a little time to come up with an answer.  
  
"You heard me. Why are you married to Malucci? It's pretty obvious that neither of you loves the other."  
  
"That's not true!"  
  
"Oh really?" Jason arched his brow. "So you are telling me you like sharing your husband?"  
  
"NO!!"  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"I think my relationship with my husband isn't any concern of yours!" Elizabeth shot back.  
  
"I beg to differ. You said so yourself that you feel safe with me. Why is it you feel safe with a complete stranger more so than you do with your own husband?" Jason knew he was pressing the issue but the menacing voice inside his head wouldn't let him stop.  
  
"That's none of your business really."  
  
"Oh yes it is my business. It's my business to know exactly what you have in mind with this little game of yours. You think that I am stupid Elizabeth?!? Do you think that I can't smell a set up a mile away? I know Tony boy – I know he is looking for any reason to bring down my family and me. Personally I think you are just the bait he needs to reel me in!" Jason stared hard into Elizabeth's widened eyes.  
  
The expression he saw was somewhere between disbelief and pure rage, yet that didn't matter all that much to him. No matter what Jason felt coursing through his veins for Elizabeth – be it lust or perhaps something more – he couldn't lose sight of his position in the grand scheme of things. He couldn't forget just who the enemy was – no matter how the package may have been wrapped. His father had taught him at least that much.  
  
"WHAT!!" Elizabeth's voice raged above the crackling of the fire before them.  
  
"I think you heard me," he countered with his own edgy voice. "Was everything up until now a ruse?"  
  
"I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS!" Elizabeth stood up in an angry huff.  
  
"Oh, but I think you do!" he seethed as he grabbed her hard by the arm.  
  
"Jason," she gasped, "You're hurting me!" With those words Elizabeth was tossed back to earlier that evening when she had said the exact same thing to Anthony.  
  
"All I want is a straight answer." Jason heard the desperation in his own voice. He hated feeling Elizabeth recoil from his touch, hated the irrational way he sounded but his nagging inner voice wasn't letting up – not when he was putting not only himself but his family at risk.  
  
"Straight answer to what? Why I'm married to Anthony or why I'm here with you?" she spat not wanting to show her fear. Elizabeth chastised herself for ever thinking that life with Jason would have been any different than it had been with Anthony. A mobster, no matter who it was, was still a mobster at heart.  
  
"Both."  
  
"Why should I?" The Elizabeth that Jason had seen confront Anthony that day on his patio came through with blunt force.  
  
"Because I have a right to know the real reason I am sticking my neck out for you!"  
  
"I NEVER ASKED YOU TO!!" Elizabeth yelled back.  
  
"No you didn't," Jason's voice abruptly softened at the sight of the tears that Elizabeth was no longer able to hide. Those tiny droplets of water falling onto her soft cheeks rendered Jason speechless and left him feeling like a complete heal.  
  
"YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I AM MARRIED TO ANTHONY? YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY – I'LL TELL YOU WHY! BECAUSE MY FATHER USED ME AS A GOD DAMNED BARAGAINING CHIP!!"  
  
"What?" Jason questioned.  
  
"You heard me. My father sold me to save his own ass and as for the real reason I am here with you ........" Elizabeth paused for a moment. "Anthony doesn't have a damn thing to do with it!" Elizabeth's angry voice subsided as she brought her lips down hard on Jason's. 


	18. Chapter 17

Jason felt Elizabeth's mouth on his own and, for one momentary lapse of reason, let himself succumb to the passions that surrounded him. The instant her lips had touched his all thoughts of a set up had disappeared. Jason pulled Elizabeth's body closer to his as they fell back against the mountain of pillows below them. Fingers entwined in her hair, Jason's tongue probed her open mouth as he let himself get lost in her. Just as their craving for one another deepened, it was as if a bolt of lighting struck and forced them to separate too soon.  
  
"I...I'm sorry." Elizabeth pulled back suddenly well aware that she had ventured into uncharted territory.  
  
"No – I'm the one who should be sorry. You're a married woman....."  
  
"As you just so aptly pointed out," Elizabeth cut him off mid sentence, "there is certainly no love lost between my husband and I." Elizabeth looked away in an attempt to gather her racing thoughts as she toyed with the notion of kissing Jason again.  
  
"That makes no difference to me. You are married and I need to respect that." Jason heard the words falling from his lips yet didn't believe a word of them. They were merely nothing more than a well- rehearsed speech that his father had taught him.  
  
"You know what Jason? I'm not sorry....."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I'm not sorry I kissed you. I have wanted to kiss you since that night in your penthouse," Elizabeth blurted out. She knew that if she was to make Jason understand that her being there with him wasn't some elaborate plan on Anthony's part she needed to lay her cards on the table.  
  
Jason did his best to hide the elation he was certain must have filled his features when he heard her words. Elizabeth's admission that she had even the slightest feelings for him that first night was a pure high for Jason, yet he still needed a great deal of answers. "How do I know this isn't your way of sticking it to Anthony?" Jason asked directly. "You know getting it on with his arch rival would be a hell of thing to throw in his face."  
  
Elizabeth cringed at that statement. She knew full well that had been her original intention, but the minute that Jason had put her and her safety before his family obligations all that had changed for her. She swallowed hard before speaking gathering the courage she needed to speak the truth. "To be honest Jason," she paused, "I did have those thoughts when I first met you. I knew how much Anthony despised you. Yes, I did think wouldn't it be nice to stick it to my husband as you put it, but that idea didn't last longer than but a minute."  
  
"Why is that?" Jason was shocked at her honest admission and curious at the same time.  
  
"You," she said simply.  
  
"Me? What the hell are you talking about?" Jason questioned knowing that he couldn't let his guard down just yet.  
  
"All the things you did for me that night and the following day. My own husband has never been that thoughtful," Elizabeth offered point blank.  
  
"So? I already told you I was only doing what your father in law instructed." With that being said, a light bulb clicked off in Jason's head. He hadn't really put two and two together before he had exploded moments ago. It had been Rocco Malucci who had placed he and Elizabeth together in the first place. Rocco was so much like Joseph, men who still lived by the codes and honor of a long ago life, that there was no way that he would have been party to any set up by his son. Rocco had too much respect for Jason's father to go after Joseph's son.  
  
"Jason?" Elizabeth waved her hand in front of his face hoping to snap him out of the trance that glazed his brilliant azure eyes.  
  
"Huh?" he said snapping back to reality.  
  
"Where were you a minute ago?"  
  
"This isn't a set up is it?" Jason was still lost in his earlier thought.  
  
"NO!" she stressed.  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
"It's this." Again Elizabeth leaned closer and kissed Jason softly. "It's that I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. It's that I......"  
  
Jason drew her body into his without letting her finish her remarks. He had been again able to reign in his father's image and enjoy the rapture of being in the moment with Elizabeth. "Why are you really married to Anthony?" he asked once he had gained control of his raging emotions.  
  
"I told you."  
  
"I know what you said but that doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense." Jason had heard many a rumor at the time of Anthony's marriage. None of them had been confirmed or denied, and until now Jason hadn't really given a damn.  
  
"No it doesn't," Elizabeth concurred.  
  
"Then why would you marry a man you don't love?" Jason asked. "Better yet a man that doesn't love you?"  
  
"Oh but you see," Elizabeth began, "that wasn't the case in the beginning. I did love Anthony. He was my Prince Charming." Jason physically cringed at those words and resisted the urge to move away from her. "He played his role so well. He truly had me believing that I was the love of his life. Anthony was quite the showman in the beginning. It was all candy, flowers – romance in its purest form," Elizabeth sighed. "He completely swept me off my feet and before I had a chance to question it I was married to him." It was easy for Jason to hear the despair in her voice.  
  
"Then what happened?" Jason gently reached for her hand as if to comfort her.  
  
"Well it turns out that I was the prize show pony. Anthony thought that by marrying me it would somehow make him respectable and it kept my father's drunk ass out of jail!" Elizabeth spat.  
  
"What?"  
  
"There was a little hit and run accident a few years back. Turns out my father was the driver and the lady he hit when he ran the red light died. I don't really know all the details, nor do I want to, but Anthony fixed it for him in return for my hand in marriage."  
  
"You didn't know?" Jason questioned unable to comprehend what she had just told him. He knew his own life had been orchestrated for him but as he looked at the lonely young woman before him Jason couldn't help thinking her situation was much worse than his own.  
  
"Not until it was too late to do a damn thing about it. I was duped Jason. I was young and still reeling from my mother's death. It was so easy for my father and Anthony to pull all the strings."  
  
Jason eyed her cautiously. "You certainly don't appear to be a woman whose strings are easily pulled, especially not after your obvious show of defiance at my sister's engagement party."  
  
"You don't get it do you? I had just lost my mother for God sakes. I was devastated, not to mention vulnerable. It was so simple for my father and Anthony to play on all those things."  
  
"Rocco too?" Jason asked silently wondering again if maybe he had been wrong in assuming Rocco was above involvement in his son's shady dealings.  
  
"NO!" Elizabeth gasped. "NEVER! Rocco is a wonderful man. He knows from personal experience what a loveless, arranged marriage can do to someone. He told me about his own sister and how she was doomed to the same fate as me. Rocco's the one ally I have in that house. That's why I don't know what I will do when he dies....." Elizabeth's voice trailed off.  
  
"That's why you came to me? For protection?"  
  
"In the beginning maybe...." she paused, "but now I don't know anymore."  
  
Elizabeth leaned back against Jason's chest as he brought his arms to encircle her. He rested his chin again on the top of her head, his eyes trained on the dancing flames of the fire before them. Immediately his heart went out to her. He couldn't imagine the hell her life must have been married to a man that never had any intention of ever loving her. Elizabeth deserved better than that, just as he deserved better than a life devoid of any true sense of love. Jason stroked her bare arms as he continued to think. He knew very well what Joseph's ideas on the sanctity of marriage were, but from what Jason had just been told, Elizabeth and Anthony's marriage had been a farce from its onset. That thought left Jason with just the opening he wanted, even if that opening wasn't one his father would acknowledge. "I understand what it's like to live a life that's not of your own making," Jason spoke softly his eyes still focused on the dancing fire. While the set up had been very different, both he and Elizabeth were trapped in existences that neither of them had asked for or wanted.  
  
"What?" she asked turning to face him. For the first time, Elizabeth noticed the sadness that hung behind Jason's ice colored eyes.  
  
"Nothing." He brushed the question aside.  
  
"I don't think so," Elizabeth countered. "What did you mean by that?" she pushed unable to imagine that Jason had anything but the life he wanted. From what little she had been able to see he had a great family, he ran one of the biggest companies in the Chicago area and to top it off he had the underworld power that Anthony would have died for. "What do you have to be unhappy about? I mean you aren't married to a monster!"  
  
"I'm not married at all!" Jason shot back.  
  
"It's not like you couldn't be," Elizabeth offered. "Jason, you are one of the most eligible bachelors in this city. You could have anyone you wanted....."  
  
"Not necessarily." He looked away again knowing that his eyes would reveal feelings he could not hide. He was certain he was headed for trouble.  
  
"Jason," Elizabeth brought her hand to his face. "You're wrong." She felt the urges for him swell inside her again.  
  
Before she was able to finish her thought, Jason drew her closer. She could feel his hot breath on her bare neck, which in turn fanned her inner desires. "What if it's you I want?" he questioned in a hoarse whisper his lips but mere inches from hers. "Can I have you?" Without waiting for an answer Jason took her mouth with his own. Elizabeth's willingness to respond was all the answer he needed. Jason probed her mouth once more with his tongue as he felt his manhood grow rock hard beneath the fabric of his jeans. Bringing himself to his knees, Jason pulled her body against his in an effort to show just how much he wanted her. In that instant, it was so easy for him to get lost in all the things he had wanted for so long now. It wasn't so much that he hated the life that his father had made him a part of, but it was the fact that Jason thought that life made it impossible for him to have the fulfillment that he so desired. Now holding Elizabeth in his arms, Jason was beginning to believe that anything was possible. "You are so beautiful," he whispered in a breathless tone as he pushed her massive curls away from her face.  
  
Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to speak fearing that if she were to open her mouth the wrong words would fall from it. She couldn't remember ever feeling this alive before. Not even in the beginning of her courtship with Anthony had she felt electrified by his touch in the way she did by Jason's hand. Elizabeth felt his hardness beneath her. The idea of partaking of him had her wet with anticipation. It was as though everything around them was swirling in a fast forward motion. It wasn't until a loud crash from just beyond the heavy velvet curtains startled them that Jason and Elizabeth caught their breath and realized exactly where they were still.  
  
Jason eyed those in the room cautiously. Each group of various people were embroiled in their own goings on, yet he still couldn't take the off handed chance that either of them would be recognized. No matter how off the beaten path this place may have been, he had known of it so there stood a possibility that some of the others might have as well. Jason knew one thing for certain in his business – never take anything for granted. "We should get out of here," he said as he pulled Elizabeth to her feet.  
  
"Huh?" She did little to hide her confusion or her disappointment.  
  
"I think we need to move this little party of ours elsewhere," Jason smiled.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"I don't know yet," he answered honestly. This was all new to him. As exciting as it was, Jason had to be careful too. For this to work, he couldn't leave anything to chance. He had to control it all. Without question, Elizabeth followed Jason down the stairs to the main floor of Excalibur. With the feelings coursing through her at the moment, Elizabeth would have followed Jason into the belly of the beast if he had asked. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that's exactly where they were going.  
  
The street in front of the club was teeming with partiers. As they waited on the corner for the light to change enabling them to cross the traffic laden street, Elizabeth lulled herself into believing they were just part of the crowd – that they were just a man and a woman out on the town. Jason's silence as they walked past The Hard Rock Café unnerved her. In the confines of the third floor of Excalibur, Elizabeth had known where the two of them were headed. Now in the open night air she was less than sure and beginning to doubt what she had gotten herself into.  
  
"Where are we going?" she finally had the courage to ask. Jason pointed to a hotel that stood in the distance. "Huh?" The Best Western River North is what the large sign on the side of the brick building read. Elizabeth was again completely confused. She had fully expected to head back to the Drake Hotel. "Why there?" she questioned.  
  
"Because," Jason just said. Elizabeth obediently followed Jason up the stairs into the lobby. At this hour of the night, all was quiet.  
  
"May I help you sir?" the man behind the counter asked.  
  
"Yes, my wife and I need a room." On one hand the word "wife" took Elizabeth by surprise but on the other it filled her with an indescribable feelings.  
  
"Certainly sir. Your name for our register."  
  
"Roth, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Roth," Jason answered. He was thankful that this time Elizabeth hadn't made an attempt to question him.  
  
"Sign right here, Mr. Roth," the man said pushing the guest registry before Jason. Once he signed the fictitious name, the man handed over a key card to their room. "You are in room 319 sir. You will need to go out those doors and over to the second set of glass doors. You can take that elevator up to the third floor. Your room should be the first set of doors you come to once you step off the elevator. Enjoy your stay."  
  
"Thank you." Jason placed a thick wad of cash on the counter. "We will be staying two nights. I am sure that will be enough to cover it." Without waiting for a reply, Jason took Elizabeth by the hand and led her out the door.  
  
"Two nights?" she questioned as they waited for the elevator that the man at the desk said would be taking them to room 319.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"We're staying here two nights? Jason, I can't do that." He noted the panic in her voice.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then why on earth did you pay for two nights?" the allure of the evening suddenly was no longer as tempting.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason sighed again frustrated by her seeming lack of understanding. "I did it to make it appear that this, you and me, is something that it isn't. Or would you have rather preferred that I tell the man I wanted the room by the hour?"  
  
"NO!" she gasped taken aback by how crass he could be at times.  
  
Jason slid the key card into its designated slot and waited for the green light to signal. The room was modest nothing like the penthouse he had taken her to on the first night Elizabeth thought but it would serve the purpose just the same. Suddenly she was more than a little self- conscious. The heat and passion that had erupted between them earlier was now just smoldering and Elizabeth had had time to think about what it was that she was actually doing.  
  
Jason senses her apprehension and crossed the room to where she stood gazing out the window. Gently he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Elizabeth," he whispered in her ear. His hot breath against her skin stoked the slow burn deep within her. "We don't have to do this."  
  
Continually he amazed her. He had the ability to flip directions like turning on and off a switch. Minutes before he was being completely crude about what they were about to embark on and now he was worried if it was truly what she wanted to do. The unbalance of it all left Elizabeth totally confused but not willing to leave either. She turned to face him. Her hands instinctively coming to rest on his again budding manhood. "I want to," she whispered entirely consumed by her desire to be one with him.  
  
Before Jason could question her again, Elizabeth easily slipped off his belt and undid the button that held his jeans closed. As the tips of her fingers came into contact with his skin, Jason let out an uncontrollable moan. Elizabeth pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she guided his snug jeans over his hips and let them drop to the floor in a heap. Next her fingers made their way to each tiny button that held his shirt closed. As the crisp denim shirt opened, Elizabeth's hands found the hardness of Jason's chest. She toyed with his thick hair until she caressed his erect nipples. Elizabeth again heard Jason's soft moans as her tongue teased them over and over again.  
  
Jason was suddenly out of control. Every part of his being was at Elizabeth's mercy and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it – not that he even wanted to try. It had been so long since he had felt such ripples of desire.  
  
Without warning Elizabeth slipped out of her own clothes. Jason stood in awe of the creature before him. She was a vision to him. Gently she came forward rubbing her feverish skin against his own. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Elizabeth lifted her legs and let her most feminine spot come to rest on him. She was warm and wet against his manhood. Jason felt his body shudder as she methodically positioned herself again and again until he felt the tremors overtake him.  
  
Crashing his mouth hard against hers, he attempted to swallow her whole. This wave of passion was stronger than anything he had ever felt before. He wanted Elizabeth so badly at that very moment that it mattered nothing to him what this action might cost. Jason turned and lowered their entangled bodies to the awaiting bed never once breaking their connection. It was now his turn to toy with her – to bring her to the height of satisfaction before either could partake of the other. For a brief moment, Jason stared intently at her and wondered why. Why her? Why out of all the people he could desire it had to be Anthony Malucci's wife? Yet watching her lick her lips in anticipation, he didn't even care. All he wanted was to get lost in her.  
  
Jason straddled her as he brought his mouth to her arched neck. The quick action of his tongue had Elizabeth arching her hips – had her needing to feel him dance inside of her. He moved down to her breasts taking them one at a time in his mouth. Jason teased her until she thought she might explode.  
  
"Please – take me," she whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Not yet," Jason smiled back enjoying the rapture he saw in her eyes and knowing that he was the cause of such pleasure within her. Jason's fingertips found the tuft of dark hair shielding entry to her womanhood. He entwined his fingers in her curls. She shuddered and shook as he parted her to gain entry. Elizabeth took a deep breath never expecting to feel such things. Sex had never been like this before. It had never been such a pleasure. She had been a virgin when she married Anthony and he had always been more concerned about pleasing him than pleasing her. This was a true experience for Elizabeth. Finally when neither of them could hold out any longer, Jason and Elizabeth became one. Their movements took but a fraction of a second to meld into one. They rocked back and forth until everything but the delight that befell them over took them leaving them breathless in each other's arms. 


	19. Chapter 18

Jason propped his feet against the round table in front of him and tried to get comfortable as he watched Elizabeth's still form peacefully asleep on the bed. Last night's events flooded his memory. He could see each spectacular moment clicking off frame after frame before his eyes. It seemed more like a movie he had watched rather than an event he had been a part of. Jason was thankful that the heavy curtains on the windows shrouded the room in darkness. He knew by the light of day this beautiful moment would have to come to an end and he wanted to relish it for just a while longer.  
  
His heart and his head were again at war and as much as Jason wanted his heart to win he knew that he couldn't let that happen. There was far too much at stake to let himself be lulled into thinking he could ever again indulge in the guilty pleasure of Anthony Malucci's wife. With that thought Jason felt the bile from the pit of his stomach rise up into his throat almost burning it. Last night he had stepped over the line. He had done something that he had never expected from himself. All the rationalizing he had done about Elizabeth's marriage being nothing but a sham Anthony used to hide behind at the time seemed reasonable to him but now when the reality of the morning hit Jason was less than sure.  
  
He was certain there was no future in this endeavor. There was no such thing as divorce in his world and Anthony most certainly would have killed Elizabeth rather than relinquish her to a man he saw as the one and only thing standing between him and what he wanted. That idea sent a cold chill down Jason's spine. The thought that his one night of carelessness could bring harm to Elizabeth frightened him and fear wasn't something that Jason Morgan was accustomed to. Bearing that in mind Jason got up from his perch and rummaged through his jacket pocket for his cell phone. He needed to gain control of himself and his actions but more importantly he had to find a way to stay that way. As his eyes made their way back to the bed the sight of her bare leg uncovered almost the entire way to her thigh however had Jason suddenly questioning his convictions all over again.  
  
His mind raced to how her skin felt against his own. How they had pleasured one another into the wee hours of the morning. Jason couldn't stop hearing her voice asking him to take her over and over again ringing in his ears. It was almost maddening. He shook his head attempting to reign in his lustful thoughts. He pondered if this was all just the allure of the sex that drew him to her or was it the whole woman that made his heart jump. That wasn't an easily answered question at the moment for the only thing that filled him at the present instant was his desire for Elizabeth. Jason needed some time to think – some time away from her – away from this room that still smelled of their passion filled night.  
  
"Johnny," Jason said to the voice on the other end of the phone. "I need you to go to the Drake Hotel and retrieve a car for me.... No I don't have the keys....I doubt that should be a problem....It's a midnight blue BMW....I don't know where the fuck it's parked!" Jason barked frustrated more with himself than his most loyal man. "Bring it to the McDonald's on West Ohio across from the Best Western River North. Leave it in the lot there. No, don't bring anyone with you!" Jason ordered as Johnny questioned how he was supposed to get back to the Morgan compound. "TAKE A GOD DAMNED BUS....I don't care how the hell you get back! Just follow my orders to the letter, nothing more nothing less. Be sure that you don't let my father know anything about this little move, understood?" Once satisfied with Johnny's compliance, Jason ended the conversation.  
  
"Trying to run out on me again I see?" Elizabeth questioned sitting up in bed and letting the sheets fall to reveal her naked body to Jason.  
  
The splendor of her naked frame rendered Jason speechless for a second as again all the wonderful images of last night bombarded him. "What?" he finally said hoping to hide the quiver in his voice.  
  
"I asked if you were thinking about running out on me again?"  
  
Jason was thankful that Elizabeth had now draped the cream colored sheet across herself and drew her knees closer to her body as she spoke. "What do you mean again?" Jason questioned fully knowing the answer but needing the idle conversation at the moment.  
  
"The night of Emily's engagement party when you took me to your penthouse. I woke up the next morning and you were gone. Tell me that's not what you were contemplating doing right now Jason," Elizabeth said her voice a mixture of anger and disappointment at the very thought.  
  
"No, I was actually making arrangements for your car to be brought to this hotel." Jason had resumed his all business tone.  
  
"What do you mean brought to this hotel?"  
  
"I am having Johnny collect your car from the Drake and he's going to leave it in the lot across the street."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Exactly what aren't you understanding here?" Jason was suddenly frustrated.  
  
"So what, I'm good enough to have sex with but not good enough to be seen with?" Elizabeth knew what a ridiculous question that was given the circumstances but the romantic that she had long since buried deep within her somehow found its way to the surface where Jason Morgan was concerned.  
  
"What?!" Jason countered. He was completely shocked by her inability to grasp the line they had both crossed.  
  
"You heard me. I'm good enough to fuck but nothing more!" Elizabeth shouted suddenly feeling more vulnerable than she ever imagined she could.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason gasped in a mixture of frustration and raging emotions. "Do you hear yourself?"  
  
"Yes," she cut him off.  
  
"What were you exactly expecting to happen from all of this? You're married to Anthony and this can't ever happen again!" he stated firmly knowing that his words lacked the conviction they should have carried.  
  
"Why?" Elizabeth felt the word catch in her throat.  
  
"WHY??" Jason echoed. "You have got to be kidding right? You know the hell why. This isn't the way things are done."  
  
"Oh yeah I forgot – men are the only ones who get to have a little sex on the side. How stupid of me!" Elizabeth brought her hand to her forehead in mock forgetfulness.  
  
"Stop it Elizabeth!" Jason ordered.  
  
"Why? The truth hurt Jason? You said it yourself. My husband doesn't do much to hide his affairs, so why should it be any different for me?" Elizabeth knew though that this was anything but a casual affair or some one-night stand. She had felt their connection long before they had ever touched one another and she wasn't about to let go of this.  
  
Jason rubbed his hands over his face and let out a heavy sigh. "Elizabeth," he walked over to the bed and sat on its edge. "This can't be happening. You know that as much as I do."  
  
"Why?" she asked moving her body closer to his.  
  
"Anthony," Jason returned directly. "Neither of us can afford the risk that comes with this. Anthony is a loose cannon. I can't take that chance. I can't take the chance that in his warped mind he would use you as some pawn in whatever game he's got going to down me and my family."  
  
"It's my risk, Jason!" Elizabeth forced.  
  
"The hell it is! Elizabeth have you been completely sheltered about this life we live? You really think that this, you and me," he pointed between them, "isn't a war in the making? It's not worth the inevitable bloodshed."  
  
"Oh," Elizabeth looked away so as not to let Jason see the tears that she knew were on their way.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered feeling his own tears.  
  
"No – no it was me. I should have known better," Elizabeth said as she hurried off the bed and collected her clothes that were scattered around the room. "I should be the one who is sorry."  
  
Jason watched helplessly unable to do or say anything to show her what was truly in his heart. He wished that he could tell her that having her alive and miserable with Anthony outweighed the thought of what Anthony would do to her if he ever caught wind of this little union. Jason knew himself well enough to be certain that should Elizabeth be hurt by Anthony Malucci's hand, the man would cease to exist no matter what code Jason had been brought up to believe. It didn't make a difference what Jason wanted or what his heart sang with every thought of Elizabeth. He had to put an end to this before it got even more out of hand. "Elizabeth." Jason reached for her arm as she walked passed him.  
  
"What?" She turned with tears clouding her eyes.  
  
"Sit down, please."  
  
"Why? Is this where you give me the polite brush off?" Elizabeth knew she was acting like some spoiled high school girl, but there wasn't a thing she could do to stop herself.  
  
"Would you listen to me?" Jason spouted almost shaking her in hopes of bringing her to her senses.  
  
"I'm listening," she countered.  
  
"Are you? Are you really listening to me? I don't think so because if you were you wouldn't be acting like this. You would know that everything that I have said is the truth. For god sakes you live with Anthony, you know what kind of a lunatic he can be. Why would you want to tempt fate like this?" Jason questioned honestly.  
  
"You," she simply said placing and easy kiss on his lips. A kiss that was sweet, delicious and so tempting to Jason.  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"I don't know. I just know that I don't want this to be all there is for us. I don't care about the risk. I don't care if Anthony finds out. I don't care if he kills me for it." Jason felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand erect with those words. "Please, please just tell me this isn't all we can have – please," she pleaded as Jason impulsively enveloped her in his arms.  
  
"This is suicide. You know that don't you?" he asked.  
  
The voices in his mind waged on, but at the moment he too felt like Elizabeth – this one glorious night just wasn't enough.  
  
Rocco sat alone in the dining room rehashing the previous evening's hellacious events. He was more certain than ever that his son was beyond his realm of control. Yet where it had all spiraled out of control evaded him at the moment. He had done everything in his power to school his son in the ways of their world. Rocco had made a good and bountiful life for his family, one he fully expected Anthony to continue going forward with, yet in his heart Rocco knew that the only thing Anthony would be doing with his hard work would be to destroy it. Anthony had defeated the beautiful girl he had married in much the same way.  
  
Rocco didn't know what saddened him more, the fact that Anthony had taken all of Rocco's teachings and twisted them to suit his own vendettas or that Elizabeth was now embroiled in a life that she shouldn't have been in with a man that was never going to love her the way she deserved to be. The image of his own sister popped into Rocco's mind's eye. He still carried so much guilt for never standing up for her. Rocco knew the marriage arranged by his father was slowly killing his only sister but his hands were tied. Tied by the same code and honor that his only son now spit on.  
  
Rocco cursed his own instincts or lack there of when it came to his son. Why hadn't he been able to see the scam that Anthony so artfully portrayed in luring Elizabeth into the lion's den so to speak? Rocco knew how duped he felt and could only imagine how Elizabeth must have felt knowing she had been nothing more than a means to an end for both her father and Anthony.  
  
"Oh excuse me," Jeff Webber said interrupting Rocco's private thoughts. "I was just looking for my daughter."  
  
"Won't you join me for some coffee?" Rocco asked suddenly filled with anger for the man standing in front of him. The smug man that handed off his daughter in exchange for a few pieces of shiny silver. The mere idea of it sickened Rocco to the core. Where he came from family was everything and no matter the crime, one family member was never traded for another.  
  
"I really need to speak with Elizabeth," Jeff asserted uneasy about being alone with Rocco Malucci. Jeff had never formally approached the Capo regarding any of the business that Anthony had taken care of for him and Jeff was getting the distinct impression that Capo Malucci was less than pleased by that.  
  
"I'm sure you have time for one cup of coffee."  
  
"Sure," Jeff agreed. He understood that he wasn't left with much of a choice.  
  
Jeff and Rocco sat in silence for a while which unnerved Jeff Webber to no end. It was like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Rocco immensely enjoyed the discomfort he saw written all over his guest's face. "So how's the Coronary Care Unit benefit coming?" Rocco finally asked.  
  
"That's what I am here to find out actually. I have been in Washington DC for the past few days...."  
  
"Drumming up support for your senatorial race?" Rocco interrupted.  
  
"Well actually yes," Jeff said, eyeing the man before him cautiously. "So I haven't had much time to be involved in the event...."  
  
"I thought this was your springboard?" Rocco interrupted again.  
  
"Excuse me?" Jeff returned confused. "Springboard?" he questioned.  
  
"It was my understanding that you intended on using this benefit event as a way to solidify your position."  
  
"Well yes......I mean no," Jeff stuttered. "I am behind this event one hundred percent. It has nothing to do with the senatorial race whatsoever."  
  
"So you expect me to believe you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" Rocco raised his brow. "You expect me to believe that a man who sold his own daughter to the highest bidder isn't above selling his own soul to get what he wants?" Rocco's animosity for Jeff Webber came pouting out in buckets.  
  
"I don't think I know what you are talking about," Jeff attempted to cover as he sifted in his seat.  
  
"Well then, let me refresh your memory," Rocco seethed. "In my world only a coward would have done what you did to your daughter!"  
  
Rocco resisted the urge to look upward hoping his father god rest his soul had made peace with his maker for the sins he committed against his own daughter. Rocco hated himself for not helping his sister all those years ago. He wasn't about to do the same thing to Elizabeth. Son or not, Elizabeth deserved better than Anthony and Rocco intended to see that in the long run she would be protected.  
  
"What did I do?" Jeff's vain attempt at ignorance only served to anger Rocco further.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU DO!? You used the poor girl like a chip in a fucking poker game! You're no better than a two-bit gambler that thinks if they play just one more hand they'll come out on top. Men in my world love men like you Mr. Webber. We love that you can't control your urges, but the fact that you used your daughter as a means to an end for you – well that's where I draw the line."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jeff's voice rose an octave, as he was unable to gauge just where this conversation was going.  
  
"What do you think it means?"  
  
"Anthony and I have deal!" Jeff stammered. "My deal's with Anthony!"  
  
"NO – sir your deal is with the Malucci family for which, unbeknownst to my son, I am still in control of!"  
  
"All Elizabeth has to do is stop rocking the boat with Anthony and everything will be fine. I promise," Jeff said completely oblivious to what Rocco was truly irked by.  
  
"Is that what you think this is all about? You think I'm angry that Elizabeth isn't happy with the life she has? WELL I SAY THANK THE LORD SHE'S NOT HAPPY!"  
  
"Then I don't understand." Jeff threw up his hands in confusion.  
  
"Understand this Mr. Webber – your daughter, my daughter in law, is not a thing. She's a person and not something that is part of any deals you made with my son. So I suggest you back off or that police report that was so strategically lost may suddenly find its way back into the limelight. Am I making myself clear?" Rocco's eyes narrowed as he levied his threat.  
  
"Crystal," Jeff said completely calm on the outside while inside his mind raced. 


	20. Chapter 19

Jason pressed his hands on the door that Elizabeth had just passed through and willed himself to remain in the room. It was an effort that took every strength within him. He buried his face in his hands and let out a heavy sigh. Now that she wasn't there in the room, Jason felt like a vital part of him was missing – that notion scared him. Almost frightening him so much so that he felt his own body shake. What had he been thinking when he agreed to keep up with this – Jason struggled with the correct word to describe what was taking place between them. He wasn't sure what to even call it. Was it an affair? Was it only lust or something much deeper?  
  
If Jason had been truthful with his answer to that question, he was sure that he was doomed. Doomed to be forever in hiding, stealing moments with Elizabeth. That wasn't what he wanted for either of them. She was far too special to be reduced to some cheating wife, yet what else could she ever be? Jason knew that answer as well and it sickened him. This hadn't been how he expected to find love. Love wasn't supposed to come in the form of another man's wife, especially not in that of a wife of a "Made Man" from a rival family.  
  
Jason groaned as he threw his body against the disheveled bed. He rolled over and let the smell of their lust fill his nostrils. Easily all those wondrous pictures filled his head. Making love to Elizabeth had been so effortless. It was almost as if they were two halves of the same whole finally joined. No matter how much logic his head screamed at him, Jason couldn't deny that fact nor could he imagine the thought of never joining with her again. The mere fleeting images of Elizabeth's naked form aroused Jason all over again. "Get a grip, Morgan!" Jason yelled at the image that stared back at him from the bureau mirror. He wondered if that was even possible anymore. The minute Elizabeth entered the bar at the Drake Hotel, Jason had lost what little grip he still maintained on his warring emotions and now – well he knew that no matter what happened he couldn't turn his back on her.  
  
Jason tucked his wrinkled denim shirt into his jeans and threw his jacket over his shoulder. He knew what was waiting for him when he crossed the threshold of the Morgan Mansion's foyer. The way he had stormed out the previous day inevitably would require a long detailed explanation for his father, an explanation that at the moment Jason didn't even have. So many furious thoughts had spilled forth yesterday that he wasn't sure how to explain them all. How could Jason make his father understand that he was grateful for all that had been given to him while still letting Joseph know that he was missing something that both his bother and sister were so readily granted? Better yet, how was Jason supposed to make his father understand that he had found the love he had always dreamed of, but he could never truly have her because of all those rites and rituals that Joseph held sacred? Jason shook his head and understood that for the time being, until he got a handle on what was really happening between himself and Anthony's wife, the less said to Joseph the better.  
  
Jason shielded his eyes as the bright light of day invaded them. He waved his arm for the first available taxi to take him back to the Drake Hotel so he could retrieve his own car. It was then that he saw the tail lights of Elizabeth's dark blue BMW sitting two blocks away amidst the traffic waiting for the light over head to change from red to green. Immediately Jason began to wonder and worry about exactly what would be awaiting her when she reached the Malucci compound. Would Anthony be there waiting for her, or would he have left one of his goons there to wait for Elizabeth's arrival? The thought of it all forced Jason's body to shake with a mixture of anger and fear.  
  
Jason raised his hand again and attempted to hail another cab. He wonder if he could actually go through with this knowing that every time he left Elizabeth he would be troubled by the images of Anthony and what he was capable of doing to her. The problem for Jason was that even if he never saw Elizabeth Malucci again, he would be plagued by those same thoughts.  
  
As her own car came to rest in its appropriate spot in the drive, Elizabeth's eyes were riveted on her father's black sedan. She did not expect to see it in the space where Anthony's car was normally parked. The entire drive home she had agonized over how to handle Anthony this morning hadn't been necessary. The thought of dealing with her father was much less threatening but it was in no way any more appealing to Elizabeth that morning. She sighed heavily steeling herself for the inevitable confrontation that always ensued when she and her father were in the same room. Suddenly Elizabeth wished she had listened to her inner voice that had begged her to turn around and spend the morning making love to Jason Morgan. The same way she had spent the previous night. That was a far more tempting thought than discussing ways to further her father's career. In her opinion she had already done her part.  
  
Leaning her head against the leather headrest, Elizabeth let her mind wander to Jason. She knew that he had agreed that their glorious night wasn't where it ended for them but she couldn't help but fear that it very well could have been. She wasn't stupid. Elizabeth recognized the tightrope they both were walking. She hadn't needed Jason's constant reminders of what could happen if they continued with this affair. Elizabeth absently wondered if 'affair' was even the correct word to describe all that she was feeling. For the first time in many years, Elizabeth felt alive and the only reason for those emotions running rampant through her was Jason Morgan. She wasn't about to let go of them now, no matter what Mafia war was around the corner. Elizabeth felt she had endured Anthony and their loveless marriage for long enough and it was time that she got something out of this arrangement as well. That something – even if it was only an affair was Jason Morgan.  
  
Elizabeth gathered her composure before exiting the car. This was the second night that she had been absent from Anthony's bed and this time she wouldn't be shielded by Rocco's protection. Coming up with a plausible reason for her absence eluded her at the moment. If she had had more friends, Elizabeth could have used one of them as an alibi saying that she had spent the night at their house. Unfortunately, however that wasn't the case. Elizabeth certainly couldn't use her father as an ally since she knew full well what side of the war he was on. His current presence at the Malucci house also threw a wrench in the option, no matter how unlikely it might have been. So instead, Elizabeth was forced to come up with some valid reason for her being out all night. As much as she knew she had an ally in Rocco, Elizabeth doubted he would understand much less condone, what she had done the night before – and he would also certainly not sanction whom she had done it with.  
  
Inching her way toward the front door, Elizabeth found herself almost laughing as she thought how "normal" she had felt sitting alone in the McDonalds across from the Best Western River North. Buying a coffee and slipping into the red, yellow and white booth was comforting. For the first time in a long time, Elizabeth felt completely normal. Just like an ordinary person living out an ordinary existence. She watched the families milling in and out of the fast food restaurant. Many of them had small children. She listened to mothers fighting with them to eat their breakfast or there wouldn't be any toys. The corners of Elizabeth's mouth turned upward as she imagined what it might have been like to have children of her own. That was a thought that, until that morning, had never crossed her mind. The last thing Elizabeth wanted to do was bring a child into her marriage. Anthony would have never been the father that Rocco was. While Elizabeth didn't always agree with or understand the life that Rocco lived, she did know that he loved his son – good and bad. She also knew in her heart that would never be the case with Anthony. He would be a tyrant with his child in the same way he had been with her. Elizabeth wasn't about to bring a child into that kind of hell. Now though, she couldn't help but ponder what a child of hers and Jason's might look like. Would he or she have Jason's piercing eyes, her curly chocolate locks or his thick blonde mane? Elizabeth shook her head forcing reality to rear its ugly and ever present head. No matter where this was going with Jason, it wouldn't be going there.  
  
As Elizabeth neared closer to the house's entry, there was an unmistakable sound of shouting coming from inside. She heard Jeff's voice along with Rocco's. She knew the affect stress had on her father in law's health, so she rushed inside and momentarily put him above all else. "What the hell's going on in here?" she questioned a bit out of breath.  
  
"Nothing. Your father was just on his way out!"  
  
"Goodbye Elizabeth." She eyed Jeff curiously as he slipped passed her.  
  
"Rocco?" Elizabeth's tone was questioning.  
  
"Come," he motioned toward the study. "You and I need to talk."  
  
Obediently Elizabeth followed behind Rocco's wheelchair and closed the door behind her as he had indicated. She felt a tension between the two of them that she had never before and that frightened her.  
  
"I'm sorry if my father was making a pest of himself," she began as she searched for the words to cut through the strain that filled the room.  
  
"I can handle Jeff," Rocco returned in an assured tone.  
  
"I just don't want him upsetting you," Elizabeth said her voice filled with concern.  
  
"You needn't worry about me. I believe it's yourself who you should be concerned with." Rocco raised his brow as he spoke.  
  
Elizabeth felt her cheeks blush. She was sure that there was no earthly way her father in law could have know what she had done the night before but Elizabeth suddenly felt as if she was under a microscope. "Excuse me?" she questioned hoping that she sounded sincere.  
  
"Elizabeth, please." Rocco let out a frustrated sigh. "You are sitting here in the same clothes you had on yesterday, and you expect me to believe you don't understand what I am alluding to?" She was startled by Rocco's directness. All she was able to do was stare at him unable to think of one thing to say. "Where were you?" he questioned. The sound of those words was so familiar to him. It seemed like only yesterday that Rocco had asked the very same question of his sister.  
  
"I couldn't stay here," Elizabeth stammered. "Anthony is out of control. He wants to have you committed for god sakes!" she gasped with wide eyes.  
  
"So what – you ran off into the night thinking that would make everything better? Giving Anthony another reason to strike isn't the answer you are looking for!" Rocco stated firmly while his mind made its way back in time ... ... _...  
  
Rocco watched his sister Anna sneak down the long drive night after night when she thought no one was looking. She and Carlo Rossetti had been married under his father's orders. Carlo had lost his own father to a hit man's bullet that had been meant for the patriarch of the Malucci family. From that point forward, Rocco's father had taken Carlo under his wing and taught him all those things that the elder Rossetti would never be able to do.  
The idea of Anna marrying Carlo seemed natural to Rocco's father. So much so that he never even bothered to ask his daughter what she wanted. Anna's desires played no role in her father's grand plan, nor did it matter that her heart had already been spoken for.  
Rocco knew where Anna went each night she slipped away from her husband as he lay asleep in their bed. She went to Robert. The man whom she felt she should have been married to. Rocco had known all along that Anna would never give Robert up. She had told him as much. She had begged and pleaded with her brother for his help.  
  
"Papa will listen to you!" Anna pleaded over and over and over again only to get the same tired response from him.  
"Anna, this is what Papa wants, what he expects. I can't go against his wishes," Rocco would sigh.  
  
The gulf between brother and sister widened until there was no bridge broad enough to cross the expanse. Rocco did his best to reason with Anna, but she was too irrational. It wasn't until that morning he had over heard a private phone conversation between Anna and Robert that Rocco knew he had to take matters into his own hands. Cupping his hand over the mouthpiece, Rocco listened while the pair made plans to disappear into the night. He shuddered at the thought. Had his sister completely taken leave of her senses? Had Anna forgotten just who their father was? Rocco couldn't let this happen. His father's men would have combed the ends of the earth until they found his daughter. When they did, Rocco knew what would happen to Anna's travel companion. It certainly wouldn't be pretty.  
Rocco had to make Robert understand, not only for his own sake but for Anna's as well, that this affair of theirs couldn't go on. That for all concerned Robert had to walk away and never look back. The very thoughts of that, Rocco knew, would break his sister's tender heart, but he hadn't been left with much choice.  
  
_"Anthony doesn't need a reason to strike!" Elizabeth's voice broke Rocco's train of thought.  
  
"What?" he said with obvious confusion.  
  
"I said no matter what I do, Anthony is ready to strike." Elizabeth gasped and attempted to hold back her tears as she longed for the safety of Jason's arms once more.  
  
Rocco stopped abruptly unable to speak as all the love he felt for his sister rushed him with brute force. "Where did you go last night?" he asked again with a soft tone.  
  
"I drove around the city." That answer wasn't a complete lie. In the beginning of Elizabeth's journey that was exactly the truth.  
  
"All night?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You never stopped? You never talked to anyone?" Rocco pressed hoping that she would confide in him and give him the opportunity to right his wrong from long ago. He couldn't do a damn thing for Anna, but he just might be able to stop Elizabeth from suffering the same fate. It amazed him that he was willing to go against his own son when he hadn't been willing to do so for his sister, yet Rocco reasoned that Anthony had betrayed him time and time again in his efforts to gain the place he thought rightfully belonged to him. "Elizabeth, do you trust me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Trust me with you life?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then please tell me where you were last night. I can't protect you if I don't know all the facts."  
  
"I told you I drove around Chicago."  
  
Rocco again felt like he was sitting across from Anna. Her denial of her actions mirrored that of Elizabeth's and for Rocco it was like reliving a very bad dream ... ... _...  
  
Rocco saw Anna standing alone tiny suitcase in hand looking at her watch repeatedly. He was sure that she had to be wondering where Robert was. Rocco knew that Robert wasn't coming to whisk Anna away that night. He had made sure of it.  
It hadn't taken much to threaten Robert. The Malucci name was enough to install fear in the masses and Robert Black was no exception. Rocco had to admit that the man had put up a brave front in the beginning but the more Rocco came forth with what might happen to him if so much as thought of running away with Anna, the man soon ran scared.  
Watching his sister crying on the street corner ripped Rocco's heart to shreds. All the reasoning in the world would never erase that memory from his mind.  
From that night on, the Anna that he had known slowly slipped away. She slipped into a world of her own making. Toggling from a catatonic to a raving mad woman. Anna had the entire Malucci house on edge. It finally reached a point where Rocco's parents had no choice but to commit their daughter to a sanitarium.  
The day that Rocco kissed his sister goodbye was one that haunted him in his dreams. He knew that what he had done had caused this volatile reaction within her. He knew that he was responsible and he wished everyday since that he could have taken every word back that he said to Robert Black that night.  
  
_"Rocco?" Elizabeth questioned him. The glazed look in his eyes disturbed her.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Are you feeling all right?"  
  
"Yes – yes, I'm fine. Elizabeth," gently Rocco took her hand in his, "I don't care where you were last night and I don't care whom you were with. This life you have with my son isn't a life at all. I know that and I am so sorry."  
  
"What?" Elizabeth couldn't hide her surprise.  
  
"I can't sit by and watch you become a shell of your former self. I won't be a party to that again. You do what you have to do and I will do my very best to see that Anthony is put on a short leash."  
  
"Rocco?"  
  
"Elizabeth, I am old but not stupid. You certainly didn't spend last night driving around the city streets. If you have found someone to bring you joy and happiness amidst this hell my son has created for you, well then I say so be it. Just please, please be cautious," he stressed as he patted hand softly. "This game you are playing has different rules for women than it does for men. You must remember that. Be on your guard at all times. Anthony will be blatant with his conquests but you can not. Do you understand me?" Elizabeth nodded in disbelief. "Take what times of happiness you share with whomever – I don't want to know." He put his finger to her lips before she was able to speak. "Treasure them and know that they may be all you will ever have."  
  
"Why?" she asked. "Why are you being so kind?" Elizabeth knew this wasn't normal, even for the abnormal life of the Mafia. Mafia wives weren't encouraged to seek affection outside of their husband's bed and they surely were never encouraged to do so by their fathers in law.  
  
"I want to do for you what I didn't have the guts to do for my sister. I will live with that regret forever. Now if Anthony asks where you were last night, tell him you stayed with your father ..."  
  
"But..." Elizabeth cut him off knowing that Jeff would never agree to cross Anthony.  
  
"No buts," Rocco stopped her. "I will handle your father not to worry." Rocco was fairly certain that his innuendo regarding Jeff Webber's missing police report would be enough ammunition to keep the man in line.  
  
Elizabeth closed the door to her bedroom. As she leaned against it, she wondered if Rocco would have still been so eager to cover for her if he had known the name attached to her mysterious rendezvous was Jason Morgan. 


	21. Chapter 20

Anthony stood in the doorway of one of the many Malucci warehouses. The bright light streaming through the open door behind him cast darkness upon the many images in front of him. Reggie, Anthony's long time friend and ally slid the heavy metal door closed with a resounding thud. It was then that Anthony's eyes adjusted revealing the many empty spaces that just a mere week ago had housed the Morgan trucks and merchandise that he had been successful in claiming from his enemy. Now, however, there was nothing there but barren space.  
  
Rocco had been true to his word. He had given everything that his son had been able to extract back to its rightful owner not to mention doubling the tax paid to the Morgan family. Anthony knew his father had done it to teach him a lesson. A lesson that Rocco felt needed to be relearned. The thought of it all angered Anthony beyond belief. He could only imagine what a laugh Joseph and Jason Morgan had at his expense as they lined their pockets with the Malucci's money.  
  
Anthony felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand erect with the thought of Jason and how unmistakably enamored Elizabeth was with him. Anthony's blood was about to boil over as he thought back to how she had lavished praise on Jason for his sizable contribution to the Coronary Care Unit benefit. The recollection of that night had left a bad taste in Anthony's mouth. The original intention of the event was to bring the Malucci family to center stage, but again somehow the Morgans had relegated them to the background.  
  
Anthony felt his fists clench at his sides. The time for letting his father run the family had long since passed. It was now time for him to set forth a new version of the Malucci family justice. A justice that would be fast and furious. A calculated smile filled Anthony's face. Just the mere idea of what he was contemplating brought him such pleasure. To systematically destroy the Morgan Empire piece by piece had Anthony as giddy as a child on Christmas morning.  
  
"Tony," Reggie's voice interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"What gives man?"  
  
"I have a job for you," Anthony answered.  
  
"So you said."  
  
Anthony eyed his friend carefully. He had used Reggie on other occasions when his plans were just beyond the reaches of what his father would have approved of. Anthony knew that Reggie was loyal to him and him alone. In no way could he ever be tied to the Malucci family, which was perfect for the barrage of events Anthony had planned for the Morgans. "Here." Anthony handed Reggie a folder.  
  
"What the hell is this?" the man questioned curiously.  
  
"It's the details of your work assignment," Anthony said in his most business like voice.  
  
Reggie opened the folder and saw the opponents in Anthony's game. First there was the newspaper article on Morgan enterprises generous donation to the upcoming benefit. Jason's photo was front and center. Beneath that came photos and news clippings for each member of the Morgan family. "So what? What's all this?" Reggie was still quite in the dark as to what his friend intended for him to do.  
  
"Those are the people that you will be sure meet with an accident or two," Anthony sneered.  
  
"Accident?" Reggie echoed.  
  
"Yes!" Anthony grew impatient.  
  
"Are you sure you know what you are doing Tony?" Reggie questioned knowing the stakes in this game.  
  
"Of course I know what the fuck I am doing!"  
  
"This is the Morgan family we are talking about here....."  
  
Anthony cut him off before Reggie had a chance to express his apprehensions about messing with the most powerful crime family in Chicago. "What if it is the Morgans? You telling me that this guy scares you?" Anthony thrust the picture of Jason in Reggie's face. "Look at him man! He's never even had to get his hands dirty. I bet he doesn't even know how to fire a god damned gun!!"  
  
Reggie had his doubts about his friend's last remark. He knew of Jason Morgan's reputation and he was certain that Anthony was underestimating him. Reggie stared at his friend not quite sure what to make of his irate display. In the past all the tasks that Anthony had ever asked of him had been beyond the realm of even Mafia law, as skewed as it was. This though Reggie could tell was different and far too personal. That thought had him thinking twice about putting himself between Anthony Malucci and the Morgan family. He couldn't help feeling that no matter the outcome, he would be on the losing end. "It's not that...." Reggie stammered wondering how he could possibly remove himself from Anthony's equation.  
  
"Maybe this will change your tune." Anthony threw the brown leather satchel he had been carrying at Reggie's feet. Cautiously Reggie bent down and undid the bag's gold clasp. There had to be over 100 G's sitting in the bag before him. "There will be another bag to match this one when you have completed the job as assigned."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Reggie said. The allure of the money had him taking leave of what little senses he had.  
  
Joseph Morgan yawned as he watched the morning sun rise high into the sky. He had watched it lower itself the previous night while the voices of his children had echoed in his head. He was admittedly still baffled by each of their revelations yet AJ's was one that Joseph understood the most. His eldest son had used every opportunity to instruct his father that he wanted no parts of the life Joseph Morgan led_.  
  
'I thought we agreed that the hands of this family would never come into contact with anything related to Matthews Construction?'  
  
_Joseph could hear his son's words as if he was still standing beside him. AJ Morgan never realized how much his need to denounce all that the Morgan family stood for hurt his father. With that thought, Emily's question also nagged him.  
  
_'I never meant that I wanted to be part of your business, but I think I have a right to know why you didn't want AJ involved either. More importantly, Jason has a right to know, too.'_  
  
Joseph rubbed his weary eyes, searching for an answer to that remark. He had seriously thought that he had done the right thing by focusing all his energies on Jason. Now, however, Joseph had to consider what he had done to his younger son. Listening to Jason the pervious afternoon as he exploded with fury for his brother had broken Joseph's heart, for he knew that he had been the cause of such anger_.  
  
'Oh I see. Jason is getting his way again...'  
'GETTING MY OWN WAY?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING RIGHT?!'  
'HARDLY!'  
'All I have ever asked for is a life unencumbered by the strings of this world.'  
'As far as I can tell you got just that! You are happily married and living the great All-American Dream! What more could you fucking want?! Face it AJ, you can't always get what you want. I have come to finally learn that.'  
'Meaning?'  
'Meaning that you walked away leaving me holding the bag. You have everything that you want, a wife to love and a life that's completely yours. What do I have? NOTHING!!'_  
  
It was that comment that haunted Joseph all night and into the wee hours of the morning. Nothing he did irradiated Jason's tortured voice from his mind as Jason had cried that he had a life filled with nothing. Joseph also recalled how his youngest son scoffed at the idea that he could have a life filled with all the things he felt he had been missing. Joseph truly believed that Jason could have a life filled with all the things that he felt his brother had.  
  
That thought forced Joseph to recall his rather blunt conversation with his daughter. The notion that she could even remotely condone the idea of Jason pursuing Elizabeth Malucci escaped him. He hadn't cared that Emily believed Elizabeth to be unhappy or miserable as she had put it. That wasn't any concern of his. What happened behind the closed gates of the Malucci compound was something for Rocco to worry about. Joseph tried to push the thoughts of Rocco and his condition out of his head but the recollection of Elizabeth's mention of her father in law's chest pains and the look of despair in the young woman's eyes caused his heart to sink. There was no denying the genuine concern he knew that Elizabeth felt for Rocco and it was that concern that endeared Elizabeth Malucci to him and further complicated an already overly complex situation.  
  
Emily had asked him to keep an open mind. How in good conscious could he do that? Joseph knew what a fireball this was in the making. It would only be a matter of time before it would ignite into a full-scale wildfire. He feared once it started there would be nothing he could do to stop it. Joseph looked into his empty coffee cup. He had lost count as to how many times he had filled it previously but made his way to the expansive kitchen just the same hoping to find some elusive answer within its black depths. Just as Joseph was about to round the corner and enter the side door of the kitchen he saw Jason slip in the back entrance of the house. "I see we have been out all night again," Joseph said taking notice of his son's rumpled clothes. Jason felt his shoulders immediately tighten at the sound of his father's voice. "Would you care to explain where the hell you have been all night?"  
  
"Out," Jason offered evasively.  
  
"I can see that."  
  
Jason opened the refrigerator and pulled out a large glass pitcher full of orange juice while he artfully tried to ignore his father's piercing eyes that were boring holes in the back of his head.  
  
"Do you really think if you pretend I'm not here I will magically disappear?" Joseph's voice was even and collected but his anger was building inside.  
  
"No," Jason said curtly finally looking his father square in the face.  
  
"Jason, where were you last night?"  
  
"Out."  
  
"Enough of this nonsense!" Joseph bellowed. "Where did you go after you stormed out of here yesterday and what was that all about with your brother?"  
  
"What was it all about?" Jason repeated. "Weren't you in the same room with us? I'm pretty sure I made my points abundantly clear!"  
  
Both men were clearly speaking in their own riddles, with neither wanting to address the other's obvious questions. "Jason, you know that AJ ..."  
  
"Save it!" Jason said through clenched teeth. He didn't want to hear the same speech recited again.  
  
"JASON!!" The redness entering Joseph's face indicated to Jason that he was beginning to push his father too far.  
  
"What?" Jason questioned innocently.  
  
"Where were you?" Joseph returned to his original question.  
  
"I was at the Drake Hotel if you must know for god sakes!"  
  
"Like hell you were!" his father countered. "I called your penthouse numerous times. There was no answer."  
  
"Did you ever think I just wasn't answering the phone?" Jason said unable to hide his sarcasm.  
  
"Enough of these games Jason! Ronald informed me that your car never left the hotel garage all night, but his morning you turned up in a taxi! Where were you?" Joseph's voice echoed off the tiled kitchen walls.  
  
"What are you having me tailed now? You don't trust your own son?" Jason's voice was a mixture of pure rage and a little fear. Fear at what else his father may have known.  
  
"I keep a check on anyone who I feel is out of control in our organization and as sorry as I am to say this Jason, you are more out of control than you can see."  
  
"This is priceless – just fucking priceless!" Jason seethed. "I'M THE ONE OUT OF CONTROL!? You are so blind Papa that you can't see the only person out of control is the one who you have decided to leave up to the devices of a feeble man on his deathbed. You would rather tail your own son than put a stop to what you know to be happening right under your own nose!!"  
  
"Why must every conversation we have revert back to Anthony Malucci?"  
  
"WHY??"  
  
"Yes, why?"  
  
"Because you are letting him play us for fools. You really think that he's going to take Rocco's returning his ill-gotten gains to us by just lying down? If you do than I think it's your who has lost all sense of reason, not me!"  
  
"I will not have this conversation again with you Jason," Joseph forced. "Anthony and what he does or doesn't do isn't for me to decide. Nor is his punishment. I would no more tolerate Rocco acting against you as he should be acting against his son..."  
  
"THAT'S BULLSHIT!! You know it and I know it. Rocco Malucci is nothing more than a Capo in the Morgan army. This need to let him handle his own crew is all in your head! If this had been any of the other families, the man responsible for stealing from us would be dead by now!" Jason said point blank.  
  
"As would the man sleeping with another man's wife!" Joseph stated firmly.  
  
"Anthony's marriage isn't even a marriage!" Jason heard the words drop from his mouth before he could even stop them. He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat and waited for the next assault from his father.  
  
"So you were with Anthony's wife?" Joseph asked.  
  
"Like I said, he marriage isn't even a marriage," Jason stated again.  
  
"That's not the answer I am looking for. Were you or weren't you with Anthony's wife last night?"  
  
"What if I was?" Jason asked forgoing all pretenses now. Through all his early morning soul searching he knew that as much as letting Elizabeth walk out of his life was the best for all concerned, that wasn't going to happen. So why spend so much time denying his feeling in his own house?  
  
"Jason," Joseph sighed shaking his head. "What have you done?"  
  
"Nothing that Anthony hasn't done to Elizabeth," Jason shot back knowing that was not an answer Joseph Morgan would accept.  
  
"Do you hear yourself? Elizabeth and Anthony are married Jason. Married – do you know what that means?"  
  
"Yes, but might I suggest you try explaining that to her husband. If I recall, not that long ago he was standing in this very house with a woman that we now know wasn't his wife, but it's me who is getting the lecture."  
  
"You can't twist the facts around to suit your own needs son. I don't care what Anthony does or doesn't do. He and Elizabeth are still married and in my book that's all that matters!"  
  
"Does it matter to you at all that Elizabeth's father used her as pawn to save his own sorry ass?"  
  
"What? What are you talking about?"  
  
"I'm saying that Elizabeth was duped. Anthony played the loving suitor just long enough to reel her in."  
  
"Jason, you aren't making any sense," Joseph countered. He was flustered by his son's unwillingness to let this go.  
  
"I'm making perfect sense if you would just listen to me! Elizabeth was nothing more than a means to an end for her father and Anthony. The illustrious Congressman Webber got to keep his ass out of jail and Anthony got to hitch his tarnished Malucci star to a political campaign. Are you starting to see the light now?" Jason mocked.  
  
"None of that excuses you thinking that taking up with another man's wife is acceptable. Not to mention that this woman is Elizabeth Malucci for heaven sakes! That's pure and utter madness. Madness that has to stop! Do you hear me Jason? You have to put an end to this."  
  
"If I don't?" Jason questioned.  
  
"Then I won't be responsible for what happens from this point forward. You are on your own son and god help you." Joseph turned and threw his hands up in defeat. He had seen that determined look in Jason's eyes on more than one occasion and knew there was no changing his son's mind.  
  
Emily stood quietly for a moment waiting to be certain that her father was actually gone. The display she just witnessed saddened her greatly. All the things she had once thought that she knew about the man she called papa were beginning to crumble and fall to pieces. Emily had always believed that for Joseph his children and their happiness came first. Now, however, she was seeing quite a different picture. AJ and she were happy living their lives, but Jason was trapped inside the box that their father had built around him.  
  
Emily thought about the girl who had not so long ago sat across from her on the patio and said that she had had no feelings for Jason. Emily knew that day that Elizabeth had been lying. The adoration that Elizabeth held for Jason was written over every feature of her face that afternoon, in much the same way she had seen her brother's eyes light up the minute Elizabeth entered the room. The one thing that undeniably frightened Emily was Anthony Malucci. As sheltered of a life that Joseph had wanted his daughter to lead, that hadn't stopped her knowledge of just how much both Jason and Anthony despised one another. Given that fact, Emily knew that the pairing of Anthony's wife and Jason was a disaster in the making. She was torn though. Torn by the facts that were so glaringly apparent and the things that her heart knew to be true.  
  
"Jason?" she said softly as she made her way further into the confines of the kitchen.  
  
"What!?" His harsh tone spilled out.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you," she hesitated in an attempt to gauge her brother's ill mood.  
  
"I don't have time right now," he barked.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about Elizabeth. I couldn't help but overhear what you and Papa were talking about."  
  
"So what – you have come to join the ranks of those who want to tell me what a mistake I am making?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Yeah right!" he scoffed knowing he was being cruel yet unable to disentangle the anger he had for his father in his words to Emily.  
  
"Jason," she gasped.  
  
"What? You know what, I'm not in the mood for another lecture. I have had my fill for one day, so you can save yours for another time. Besides if you were listening, then you know that I'm on my own from now on!" Jason dropped the empty juice glass in the since and made a hasty exit leaving Emily to stare at his retreating back.  
  
It appeared that if she was to get any answers she would have to approach the other half of this budding pair and her father had given her just the cover to do it. Emily picked up the cordless phone that sat on the counter and dialed the Malucci mansion. 


	22. Chapter 21

Upon hearing Elizabeth's voice, Anthony stopped short at the entrance of the bedroom he shared with his wife. "Yes." He heard her say. "I agree, securing the right caterer is crucial. If you think that it's necessary then of course I will join you. Give me a few minutes to check on my father in law and I will be on my way."  
  
Even with the little of the one sided conversation that he had overheard, Anthony knew exactly whom Elizabeth was speaking with. There was no doubt in his mind that the person on the other end of the phone was Emily Morgan and the mere thought of that had him seeing red all over again. He waited to hear the click of the receiver hitting the cradle before entering the room. Anthony was far more concerned with catching his wife in a lie than he was about observing the privacy of Elizabeth's conversation. "Nice to see you haven't forgotten where you live." Anthony's tone was stone cold.  
  
His voice startled her. Emily's request to join her at the Morgan estate to further discuss the arrangements for the upcoming benefit rang in Elizabeth's ears alongside Anthony's threats as to what would happen if she ever set foot on the Morgan grounds again. "Like you would ever let me forget!" She shot back.  
  
"Who were you talking to?"  
  
If the question had been asked by anyone other than Anthony, Elizabeth would haven taken it as nothing more than an innocent inquiry however given the look in her husband's eye she knew better. "What?"  
  
"Who were you talking to?" Anthony asked again, as his voice grew harsher.  
  
"I was discussing plans for the benefit," she offered avoiding the obvious answer Anthony was searching for.  
  
"Are you planning on answering my question or do I need to remind you again that everything in this life comes at a price?" The eerie feeling that had caused Elizabeth to run the previous night returned to fill her.  
  
"What do you want me to say?" she questioned.  
  
"WHO THE FUCK WAS ON THE PHONE???" Anthony's enraged voice bounced off the walls.  
  
"My father," Elizabeth answered with what Anthony knew to be an outright lie.  
  
"I just passed your father on the road," Anthony countered as he watched his wife squirm.  
  
"I am sure you did. He was just here and forgot to tell me about an appointment he made with us to meet the prospective caterers for the benefit." Elizabeth surprised even herself with her quick comeback for Anthony's obvious attempt at tripping her up.  
  
"You really expect me to believe that crock of shit?"  
  
"What's not to believe? You yourself just said you passed him. Ask Rocco if you don't believe me," Elizabeth suggested amazed at how steady her voice sounded while she was trembling inside.  
  
"Like I'd get a straight answer from that old cohoot. You have him wrapped so tight around your little, it's a wonder the man can even breathe for god sakes!" Anthony spat his anger at the closeness between his wife and father.  
  
"Anthony, if you have a point I wish you would make it. I don't want to keep my father and the others waiting."  
  
The reference to the "others" caused steam to rise within Anthony. "Don't forget my dear Elizabeth, you are still my wife!"  
  
He watched her eyes dart around the room and sensed that he had hit a bull's eye when it came to keeping his wife in her place. Anthony thought back to his conversation with Reggie not that long ago. He knew it would be only a matter of time before the Morgan family, namely Jason Morgan, would no longer be a thorn in his side. Baring that in mind, Anthony left the room as quickly as he entered leaving, Elizabeth to do nothing more than stare at his back and wonder. The altercation with Anthony left Elizabeth feeling so defeated that she let her heavy body drop against the bed. As she rolled over, her eyes came to rest on the empty side that night after night had been occupied by Anthony.  
  
Contrasting emotions suddenly overpowered Elizabeth. She had shared this bed with Anthony for nearly two years, and it had never held the passion and grace that the hotel bed she had shared last night with Jason had. Elizabeth ran her hand across the cool sheet and imagined what it would be like to have Jason beside her in this bed, or any bed, night upon night. What she wouldn't give to be able to have that. Elizabeth knew she would sell her soul to the devil if she could have in order to be with Jason, but there was no chance of that since her father had already ensured that Elizabeth's soul belonged to Anthony. The images and conversations of the past few days played tricks on her mind. Elizabeth vaguely wondered how so much joy could be contained within so much anguish. The joy undeniably was the magic that she shared with Jason Morgan. The prospect of seeing him again that afternoon had her dizzy with delight. Elizabeth cradled the soft down pillow close to her chest. Rocco's words of finding happiness where she could settled deep within her, as did his warning about the rules differing for men and women. Elizabeth certainly didn't need a reminder of that. The notion was glaringly obvious to her. Anthony was able to flaunt a new woman on his arm every night if he chose to, but she was forced to hide behind closed doors. The whole concept made Elizabeth's stomach turn. The last thing she wanted to do was hide her feelings for Jason, and more importantly, she wasn't sure she even could.  
  
Anthony's blatant threats played continually through her mind and she wondered if Jason hadn't been right about the stakes of this game being too high. She had started this to, in one way or another, give herself a little piece of well deserved justice for the hell that she was forced to live. Elizabeth had intended to capitalize on the vehement hatred between Jason and Anthony, but now she questioned if she had made the right choice. Would it have just been better to leave well enough alone? Elizabeth ran her hands through her massive curls as she pondered that thought. It didn't take but a second to come up with an answer. She knew that the feelings held within her for Jason Morgan were growing by leaps and bounds and even if she wanted to stop them, there was no way she could have. The trick now would be to find a way to disguise them from all those around her.  
  
"None of that excuses you thinking that taking up with another man's wife is acceptable. Not to mention that this woman is Elizabeth Malucci for heaven sakes! That's pure and utter madness. Madness that has to stop! Do you hear me Jason? You have to put an end to this." "If I don't?" "Then I won't be responsible for what happens from this point forward. You are on your own son and god help you."  
  
Jason paced the four corners of his room, feeling like a caged animal as his father's last words echoed through the recesses of his mind. Jason's resolve to keep his father in the dark about what was or wasn't happening with Elizabeth had gone up in a puff of magician's smoke. He chastised himself for letting his anger get the better of him in his confrontation with Joseph. As many times as Jason had watched his father goad an adversary, he had never expected to be on the receiving end of it. Joseph had played his son like a finely tuned instrument, and for that, Jason was now kicking himself. It wasn't as if he had been shocked by his father's reaction to his words. Jason had known for a long time Joseph's stance on such things as marriage and infidelity. In Joseph's mind, there wasn't room for any of the qualifying statements that Jason had tried to get him to see that morning. A marriage, good or bad, was a bond that was to be broken by death and death alone. That was what Jason feared the most, Elizabeth's death by Anthony's hand.  
  
As he slipped his shirt off his shoulders, Jason caught the faintest scent of Elizabeth. Memories of her flooded his senses. How had he ended up in this place? A place where he couldn't go forward or go back. Jason gazed at himself in the mirror as he had done earlier that day in the hotel. He still wasn't able to recognize the man looking back at him. Yes, the features were familiar, but the look he now had deep in his eyes was one that he had only seen in the eyes of his brother and sister. Jason knew how to characterize it, but the idea of verbalizing those words scared him. He knew that if he dare to let them pass his lips there would be no turning back for him. If he admitted out loud what his heart was screaming, that he was falling in love with Elizabeth, there would be no way out for him. Since the first time he laid his eyes on her, turning away from Elizabeth had never been an option for Jason.  
  
"UGH!!!" Jason let out a heavy sigh as he began stripping his body of its remaining clothes. He knew that he needed to burn off some of his pent-up energy and standing there remembering how soft Elizabeth's skin was against his own or how her touch set his body on fire wasn't the way to go about doing that. Jason threw on a pair of boxing shorts, slung a towel over his bare shoulders and laced up his shoes. A few rounds with the punching bag that hung in the Morgan gym would do just the trick at alleviating the stress he felt, or at least it would exhaust him enough to allow himself to sleep. That was something that he hadn't been doing a great deal of since meeting Elizabeth Malucci.  
  
Jason rounded the corner and came face to face with Elizabeth standing in his foyer. His emotions ran the gambit as he stared at her beautiful face. In one breath he was elated to have her presence so near to him, yet alongside that elation was anger and fear. All three sensations were vying for center stage. The fear and anger eventually won out.  
  
"Hello Jason," Elizabeth said with her brightest smile. "Getting ready to work out?" She hoped that her voice held steady when she spoke. The sight of Jason's bare chest rippling with tanned muscles had her pulse racing so quickly that she could hear it beating inside her head.  
  
"You can't be here!" he returned through clenched teeth. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"That's quite a greeting," she said making no attempt to hide her frown. Elizabeth had expected him to be as happy for their chance meeting as she had been when Emily had innocently invited her to the Morgan compound.  
  
"Stop with the games Elizabeth."  
  
"Games?"  
  
"Yes, games. You can't just keep popping up here and there like some trick rabbit." Jason's eyes made their way around the expansive foyer as he wondered where his father might be.  
  
"Jason," Elizabeth cooed, unable to resist the urge to touch his chest. The gentle caress of her flesh against his noticeably quickened his breathing and he attempted to reign in his raging emotions.  
  
"Stop it Elizabeth!" Jason's voice wasn't above a whisper, but Elizabeth heard the sternness it held. "I thought you understood that for us to continue you had to play by my rules." His words were more of a statement than a question.  
  
"What if I can't?" Elizabeth returned quite honestly.  
  
"You have to."  
  
"All these rules and codes...." Elizabeth stammered, frustrated beyond belief that ending her marriage to Anthony couldn't be as simple as signing her name to a piece of paper.  
  
"You knew that going in." Jason's voice finally softened. Elizabeth's look of despair mirrored what he was feeling. As much as Jason understood the need for the codes and honor tied to their world, that's how much at the moment he hated them.  
  
"Doesn't mean I have to like it," she pouted.  
  
Joseph hated that somehow along the way he had been reduced to the prying eyes of a spy in his own home. No matter what he had led his son to believe earlier that morning, he certainly wasn't about to leave Jason whipping in the wind just because of a poor judgment call on the younger man's part. The sight of Jason and Elizabeth standing before him held Joseph captive as he suddenly felt as though he had intruded on a very private moment. That feeling was only heightened as he watched Elizabeth lean in and kiss Jason softly. It was the smile on his son's face that concerned Joseph the most. The facts before him couldn't be denied and that only served to reinforce Joseph's anxiety that Jason was in well over his head as far as Elizabeth Malucci was concerned.  
  
Jason felt Elizabeth's sweet lips brush against his. He reached to move the stray hair from her eyes. The slight touch of his skin to hers caused Elizabeth to jump. "You can't be here," Jason said again, yet this time it was with much less vehemence as Elizabeth's body melted into his own.  
  
"Why not Jason?" Emily's voice parted the pair as if it had been a hot knife through frozen butter. "Elizabeth is here to see me, not you!" Emily did little to disguise her annoyance with her brother. The way Jason had brushed her aside that morning still stung and Emily had no intention of pretending it didn't.  
  
"Well I better let you ladies get to work. The benefit is fast approaching. Nice to see you again Elizabeth," Jason said trying to cover for the very intimate scene his sister had been witness to.  
  
Elizabeth shifted nervously as she and Emily took seats at one of the patio tables closest to the pool. "Here is the name of the caterer we are using for my wedding," Emily said as she presented Elizabeth with a small business card. "Mama is very high on them and I must admit that I too was quite pleased with them at the tasting they had for us."  
  
Elizabeth stared at Emily curiously as she continued discussing the benefit with no mention of what she had just seen between Elizabeth and Jason. In one way it was a relief but in another it was unnerving. "I will take you at your word then. If you find 'Catering by Michael', " Elizabeth said picking up the card as she read the name of the company, "acceptable to cater your wedding than I wouldn't see why we can't use them for the benefit as well."  
  
"You don't want to have a tasting of our own?" Emily questioned sensing that her guest wasn't completely focused on the task at hand.  
  
"Sure," Elizabeth said as her voice trailed off. Her eyes made their way around the patio as she remembered her first night there. The image of Anthony falling head long into the pool that led to her chance meeting with Jason flipped through her mind.  
  
"Elizabeth," Emily snapped her fingers in front of Elizabeth's face and tried to gain her attention.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Did you hear anything I said regarding the possible theme for this benefit?"  
  
"What?" Elizabeth questioned.  
  
"I asked you what you thought about a New Orleans Mardi Gras kind of theme. This being Chicago and there being so many blues clubs in the area, I was thinking that we might be able to capitalize on that fact and get a local band to play the event. Does that work for you?"  
  
"Sure – that sounds fine." Elizabeth's voice sounded detached as her memories had now propelled her to the image of Jason standing bare chested in the foyer moments ago.  
  
"Elizabeth," Emily sighed knowing that it was time to address the inevitable. "Would you rather ditch this talk about the hospital benefit and discuss what's really on both our minds?"  
  
"What? What do you mean? You invited me her to finalize some of the details for the event."  
  
"Not as much as I did to discuss what is happening between Jason and you," Emily said bluntly.  
  
"What's happening between me and Jason?" Elizabeth echoed Emily's rather pointed question.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"There's nothing going on between the two of us!" Elizabeth feigned innocence.  
  
"You expect me to really believe that? I saw you just now. That certainly didn't look like nothing to me."  
  
"You must have misunderstood. I tripped, being the klutz that I am, and Jason just happened to be there to catch me."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yes – really!" Elizabeth squirmed feeling as she had when Rocco had questioned her that morning. The only difference between now and then was that Jason's sister seemed to possess more information about the budding relationship than her father in law had.  
  
"Elizabeth, I am no fool and it doesn't take a genius to see that both you and Jason are attracted to one another. So please don't insult my intelligence by pretending what's happening isn't." Elizabeth brought the icy glass of tea to her lips, as she wished for something stronger. Having to play duck and run with so many questions lately had frayed her nerves a bit. "Elizabeth do you have feelings for my brother?"  
  
Elizabeth opened the folders before her in an attempt to collect her thoughts. This conversation had already gotten way too out of hand for her liking. "The idea of he New Orleans theme sounds like a great idea. Do you think the caterer could handle an array of Cajun food?" Elizabeth questioned as she scribbled down a few notes, not wanting to meet Emily's prying eyes. "The blues band is wonderful too. That should be a big hit over the stuffy string quartets that are usually at these kinds of events."  
  
"That was my thought. Elizabeth you didn't answer my question."  
  
"Yes – about having a tasting." Elizabeth was searching for any reason to keep the conversation away from the direction that Emily obviously wanted it to take. "I think we should schedule one as soon as possible. The benefit is right around the corner."  
  
"I will handle that then," Emily sighed knowing that Elizabeth wasn't about to crack. She had been a Mafia wife too long to slip up that quickly. Never the less Emily continued in her attempt to confirm what she had already known to be true. Elizabeth could sidestep the issue all she wanted but her feelings for Jason were as plain as the nose on her face. "I'm glad that we are getting some of these benefit details settled, but you never answered my question Elizabeth," Emily pushed.  
  
Elizabeth cleared her throat as she angrily narrowed her eyes and realized that she had been backed into a corner. "Emily, do you think we could cut to the chase?"  
  
"That all depends on you Elizabeth. Depends on if you are ready to admit that you have feelings for my brother."  
  
Elizabeth weighed her options as to how she should respond. She was certain in what she knew Jason would want her to say. He would expect her to deny, deny, deny but the voice inside her heart wouldn't let her. It wanted, it needed release for the wealth of wonderful emotions it held for Jason. "Yes," she whispered as she looked away instantly sorry that in the heat of the moment she had divulged such precious information.  
  
Emily was Jason's sister but that didn't make a difference in this instance. The more people who were privy to the fact that Jason and Elizabeth were stealing moments together would make it more likely that Anthony would be tipped off. That thought scared Elizabeth as much as it had Jason but for different reasons. Jason feared what Anthony was capable of doing to her and she had felt the same way only in reverse. Considering the well-publicized hatred Anthony had for Jason, he would be in as much danger if not more, from Anthony's wrath, as Elizabeth would be.  
  
"That was the easy part." Emily's voice startled Elizabeth. "Now what about your husband? Do you also have feelings for Anthony?"  
  
"What I feel for Anthony is nothing more than contempt," Elizabeth said venting her bottled up hatred for the man she married.  
  
"Why Jason, Elizabeth?" Emily continued with her questions. The long standing war between Anthony Malucci and her brother hadn't been lost on Emily and there was a part of her that had to flush out Elizabeth's true intentions as far as Jason was concerned. Emily had long since come to understand that nothing in the world her father and brother lived in was, as it seemed to be.  
  
"Are you asking my intentions toward Jason?" Elizabeth returned remembering Jason asking the very same things of her only in much harsher words and tones.  
  
"Maybe. I can't help but wonder why Jason? It's no secret the distaste the man you call your husband has for my family, namely my brother. To me it just seems a bit strange that out of all the men you could choose to take up with, you choose my brother, Anthony's enemy."  
  
"Emily, I didn't set out to fall in love with your brother." Again Elizabeth heard words escaping her lips and she had no control to stop them.  
  
At hearing those words, Cassandra Morgan nearly dropped the large box containing her daughter's newly altered wedding gown. Could she have heard correctly? Did Elizabeth Malucci just say she was in love with Cassandra's son?  
  
"Then what did you set out to do?" Emily asked quite curious as to the response she was about to receive.  
  
"To be honest with you, I don't know. The night of your engagement party I was hurt and I was angry. I just wanted to make Anthony feel the way I did. That's why I showed up here unannounced. I wanted to make him look the fool like he had done to me time and time again. I didn't come here for any other reason than that."  
  
"I think that's the first truly honest thing you have said," Emily offered.  
  
Cassandra stood silently listening to the young women talking.  
  
"It may be," Elizabeth returned.  
  
"So you love my brother?" Emily asked seeking confirmation of a fact she already knew.  
  
"I didn't say that," Elizabeth said, as she looked for an out in this impossible situation.  
  
"Yes you did, Elizabeth." Emily wasn't about to relent in her pursuit of the truth.  
  
"I know it's wrong and I know it's dangerous but I can't stop these feelings," Elizabeth sighed heavily as she gave up her ever present denial and pleaded for Emily's understanding.  
  
Cassandra nodded her agreement from her concealed perch. She had known the first day Elizabeth had shown up on their doorstop under the guise of working with Emily that there was an underlying tension between her and Jason. Cassandra had addressed her concerns to Joseph then and he had said that there was nothing to be worried about, but now she knew that to be untrue. This triangle of Anthony, Elizabeth and Jason was one that Cassandra knew would have deadly consequences. 


	23. Chapter 22

Cassandra stood in silence as her daughter and Anthony's wife continued with their conversation. She had almost taken root and now was unable to move away from the words and ideas that filtered through her ears. Cassandra resisted the urge to come forward and reveal herself. As much as she wanted to tell Elizabeth Malucci that there was no place for her in the Morgan house, Cassandra knew from past experiences that the way to handle such matters was through the protocols of "la familia". With that thought racing around her head, Cassandra set out in search of her husband. She found him sitting alone in his study perplexed by his own eavesdropping. Cassandra closed the heavy door behind her and made her way deeper into the large room. "Joseph, I believe we have a bit of a problem," Cassandra said directly.  
  
"What's that?" Joseph returned.  
  
"Elizabeth Malucci," Cassandra said flatly.  
  
"Why do you think that?" Joseph shifted in his large leather chair. His wife had his full attention now.  
  
"I just heard her admit to Emily that she's in love with our son!"  
  
"Which one?" Joseph feigned a laugh as he tried to mask his own concerns.  
  
"This isn't a joke, Joseph!"  
  
"Maybe you misunderstood what you heard." Joseph attempted to dissuade his wife. "I know that Elizabeth was quite impressed by Jason's generosity. You must have just taken what she said out of context." Joseph averted his eyes back to the pile of papers on the desk before him.  
  
"I think not!" Cassandra's voice was loud. She was angered by her husband's lack of concern for what she saw as an obviously volatile situation in the making. "You have seen the way she looks at him ... ..." At those words, Joseph's mind wandered back to the kiss he had been witness to. Adding his wife's anxiety to the mix only served to complicate things all the more. "JOSEPH!!" Cassandra's high-pitched voice broke his private thoughts.  
  
"What?"  
  
"How do you plan on handling this?"  
  
"Handling what?"  
  
"You can't tell me that you can't see what I see?" Cassandra's voice grew more flustered.  
  
"I see a young woman enamored with a man who appears to be larger than life. Elizabeth is a married woman, Cassandra. She knows the rules," Joseph said firmly while he wondered if there was any truth to that statement. He knew his own son had been schooled from the very beginning in the disciplines of their world, but Jason had somehow lost sight of them. It was hard for him to believe that a young girl from the realm of the legitimate world could even begin to fathom what she was embarking on.  
  
"Married or not," Cassandra countered, "I know what I heard, Joseph. You can't let this continue! Especially not given the constant feud between Jason and Anthony. I can understand Elizabeth finding Jason attractive given the bore she's married to but ... ..."  
  
"Cassandra," Joseph got up from his seat and took his wife in his arms silencing her remaining words. "I have taken care of this family for almost 30 years now and I promise you that I will continue to do so." He kissed her softly. "I think that you are in need of a night out on the town. What do you say to a play or maybe an opera?" Joseph hoped that he would be able to placate his wife for the time being or least until he could get a better handle on things.  
  
"But... ..."  
  
"Shh," Joseph put finger to Cassandra's lips. "Don't argue. I will make all the arrangements. We both deserve a break from all the preparations for Emily's wedding. I think it's time I romanced my beautiful wife, don't you?" Cassandra nodded as she rested her head on Joseph's shoulder. She was still troubled by Elizabeth's admission of love for Jason and Joseph's seeming disregard for the consequences of what that admission could bring about. "So then the theater it is. I have some business to attend to at the moment. I will let you know as soon as I have made our dinner plans."  
  
Cassandra took that as her cue to exit the room, but not without first giving her husband a long, hard stare as she tried to determine just what was on his mind. Joseph smiled as he watched his wife leave. He was thankful that in his 30 years of marriage, he never felt the need for any woman other than Cassandra. Joseph had watched his own father stray from his mother, and he had seen what those trysts had subsequently done to her_.  
  
"What do you mean you have to go out?" Maria Morgan cried into her husband's retreating back. "It's our anniversary for god sakes!" She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat.  
"I don't have a choice," Andrew Morgan countered sternly.  
"Don't give me that! You are the man in charge. You are the 'BOSS'! Can't you have someone else handle whatever this is?" Maria spat.  
"ENOUGH! I will not tolerate such insolence! I have something that needs attended to, and I am the only one who can handle it!"  
"Don't you mean someone?" Maria quipped.  
"What I do with my time is none of your concern!" Andrew's harsh voice forced Joseph deeper into his hiding place. He stood behind the partly closed door and listened as his parents continued to argue in a room they had assumed was empty.  
"NONE OF MY CONCERN!?" Maria's voice raised and octave. "I am your wife......"  
"In name only!" Andrew said before she had been able to finish her sentence.  
"What?" The sheer force of his blunt remark left Maria feeling as though she had had the wind knocked out of her body.  
"You heard me! If you think I married you for some undying love, well then you are mistaken."  
Maria's tears sprang forth without warning. She was unable to stop them as her eyes pleaded with a man whom she loved with all her heart. "Andrew," she cried as her voice was consumed by sobs.  
"ENOUGH! I'm late as it is. Good night Maria!" Andrew said with finality.  
Joseph watched as his mother crumpled to the floor sobs wracking her petite frame. Joseph remembered that from that night on his mother was never quite the same. While she continued to play her part in 'la familia' she had lost the sparkle in her eyes and the love that her voice once held.  
_  
To this day, Joseph could still hear the argument that he was never meant to hear as it bantered around in his mind. In a way, Elizabeth Malucci reminded him a great deal of his own mother. Joseph leaned against the expansive desk as he compared the two women in his head. While his mother had never been blatant in her actions, as Elizabeth seemed to be, Joseph recalled the many nights he found her sitting alone. Maria often stared at her wedding picture with tears in her eyes while his father was off with one goomah or another. Joseph imagined Elizabeth doing the same thing. That thought now tore at Joseph's heart as much as it had when he spied his mother's tears. Anthony was uncontrollable, willful and downright dangerous. Joseph knew that as much as Jason did. While Joseph would never admit it to his son, he knew that Anthony needed to be halted. However, Joseph's long standing friendship with Rocco added another layer of complication to this teetering building that was about ready to collapse. Joseph picked up the phone and dialed Rocco Malucci's private number in the hopes of getting some answers to the questions that plagued his mind.  
  
Joseph sighed as he rested the receiver in its cradle. He was unsure of exactly what he was going to say to his friend. It wasn't as if he could come right out and ask Rocco to confirm his suspicions and Joseph knew in his heart they weren't merely suspicions any longer. The conversation that Cassandra had overheard between Emily and Elizabeth only served to strengthen what Joseph had already known that his son was in well over his head. Joseph lifted the receiver again and dialed Rocco's number.  
  
"Hello." The voice of Joseph's long time friend drifted passed his eardrum.  
  
"Good evening, Rocco."  
  
"Joseph?" Rocco questioned as a sense of relief filled him. For several days now, he had played with the idea of enlisting his friend's help in insulating Elizabeth from Anthony's wrath after his inevitable death. The old man took this as the perfect opportunity to do just that.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What can I do for you, or should I say what has my son done now?"  
  
"Nothing – that I know of," Joseph added with a laugh. It was times like this that Joseph longed for the simpler days of years past, days when those in the organization weren't like a pack of wild dogs fighting over the last bits of food. He missed the days when the families worked together for their common welfare rather than against one another. Joseph heard his friend coughing uncontrollably on the other end of the phone. He let out a heavy sigh knowing that the world as he once knew it was swiftly coming to an end. Rocco's death would open up a can of worms that until a few days ago Joseph thought he could control. Now given the fact that Jason had decided to put himself directly in Anthony's line of fire, Joseph was forced to rethink his original plans.  
  
"So if my son is behaving himself, to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?" Rocco asked again.  
  
"AJ and Courtney are expecting. I am going to be a grandfather can you believe that?" Joseph said. He did his best to showcase his excitement for the upcoming event, but at the moment all he could do was picture Elizabeth kissing Jason in the foyer.  
  
"How wonderful! Cassandra must be so excited. Congratulations."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Joseph Morgan a grandfather, who would have thought it?" Rocco teased.  
  
"I know," Joseph paused as he searched for a way to work Elizabeth and Anthony's marriage into the conversation without it appearing that he was fishing for information. "So, what about you? When is Anthony planning on making you a grandpappy?" Joseph chided.  
  
"I don't expect anytime soon." Rocco's voice had a hint of despair in it.  
  
"Why not? Elizabeth is a lovely young woman and she's quite pretty as well. I would imagine you would have some handsome grandchildren out of that union."  
  
"Yes I would agree, but I still don't expect to see grandchildren before I die."  
  
"Anthony is a very lucky man. From what I have seen of his wife, she is quite the civic-minded woman. She and Emily have been working diligently on the Coronary Care Benefit. He should be proud."  
  
"Yes he should," Rocco sighed hating to have to play these games with his old friend. "I was glad that Emily agreed to assist with the benefit. Elizabeth could use a friend her own age." Rocco now looked for an opening to make his request.  
  
"I would imagine a woman as charming as Elizabeth would have many friends. Like I said before, Anthony is a lucky man."  
  
"Joseph," Rocco hesitated, "not all Mafia marriages turn out as graceful as your own has." Rocco's voice was flat as he spoke.  
  
Joseph let his eyes rest on the family photo that sat on his desk. In a world filled with goomahs and one night stands, he had never partaken of such things, nor had he ever wanted to nevertheless all those events were common place and in the end it was the women who did the most suffering. "I understand that," Joseph returned as he waited for his friend to continue.  
  
"You are completely right. Elizabeth is a lovely girl, but she's lonely. I don't have to remind you what my son is like. You have first hand knowledge."  
  
"Yes I do," Joseph concurred.  
  
"Elizabeth, well she isn't like most women, at least not like the women who marry into our world..."  
  
"How so?" Joseph interrupted.  
  
"She thought she was marrying for love, Joseph."  
  
That statement brought back the sound of his father's voice telling his mother that if she had thought he had married her for some undying love, she had been mistaken. "So you are saying that's not true?"  
  
"Joseph, Anthony loves only Anthony!" Rocco let out a frustrated sigh as his fears of what his son was capable of came flooding forward. "He has a great lust for power as you very well know. He saw Elizabeth as a way to gain political power and Jeff Webber was foolish enough to use his daughter as a bargaining chip for his own agendas!"  
  
Joseph now heard Jason's voice as he had recounted a similar tale of events. The conversation that Joseph had hoped would clear his mind now only clouded it more. "Bargaining chip?" Joseph questioned.  
  
"Yes. Mr. Webber needed my son and well – Anthony capitalized on that need. He sweetened the pot for himself by arranging to marry a congressman's daughter."  
  
Joseph sat silent not knowing what to say. While he now knew that Jason's story about Elizabeth's marriage was very, very real, that still didn't make the idea of their affair any easier to swallow. Again his eyes rested on the photo on his desk, yet this time he trained his stare on his own daughter's face. The notion that any father would trade their child for themselves had Joseph shaking his head, but he had to stop and wonder if he hadn't done something similar to Jason. Had he traded his son's happiness for what he expected of him? Had he sacrificed Jason's life so that there would be an heir to take the seat at the head of the Morgan table when Joseph himself was no longer able to fill it?  
  
"Joseph," Rocco's soft voice put a stop to his rambling thoughts. "I need to ask something of you and your family."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I know I am not long for this world. The doctors have done what they can for me, and well, I have accepted the fact that I am going to die sooner rather than later." Joseph felt his eyes fill with tears at those words. "I have done my best to teach my son his place and the ways of this thing of ours, but it's quite apparent that Anthony has his own agenda."  
  
"Yes it is," Joseph returned.  
  
"In the recent months, I have been witness to his temper. It is somewhat violent at times and well, I fear for Elizabeth once I am gone."  
  
"I see. What are you asking of me?"  
  
"Elizabeth... ..." Rocco paused, "she reminds me so much of Anna. I don't want to see what happened to my sister happen to her. I know your feelings on extramarital affairs, but I can't sit by and watch my son whittle away at such a wonderful person. It's very apparent to me that Elizabeth has someone in her life that makes her happy...."  
  
"Do you know who?" Joseph hesitantly interrupted.  
  
"No, nor do I want to know. I can only assume that it's someone who can love her the way she deserves to be, since I know in my heart Anthony isn't capable of such emotions."  
  
"You think Anthony will bring harm to Elizabeth because of her affair?"  
  
"Yes. When I am no longer here as a buffer against my son, I feel that his violence will escalate and harm indeed will come to her. Joseph she's expendable. To Anthony, anything and everything standing in the way of what he wants is expendable. I need you to control him. You are the only one even remotely able to take on such a task." Rocco heard the pleading in his own voice.  
  
"If I can't control him, then what?"  
  
"Do what needs to be done," Rocco answered coldly. He knew he was trading his son's life for Elizabeth's but he couldn't let the transgressions of his world claim another innocent victim as it had claimed his sister Anna.  
  
Joseph sat in silence as he digested the many events of the day. This was like a large jigsaw puzzle whose pieces didn't match. Joseph's intention with this phone call was to gauge the status of Elizabeth's marriage. He definitely had gotten an answer, but it had done nothing but further confuse the issue.  
  
"Joseph?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Will you help me?"  
  
"I will do what I can," Joseph finally relented. 


	24. Chapter 23

Joseph closed his eyes and leaned against his highback leather chair. The reality of what he had just agreed to hit him hard across the chest. In essence, he had just consented to clipping his best friend's son should the young man step out of line which invariably Joseph knew he would. From the very beginning, that was something that Joseph had desperately tried to avoid. He chuckled to himself as he thought about how elated his own son would be by such news. Jason wanted Anthony Malucci irradiated from the equation for years now, and it appeared that inevitably he would be getting his wish. Joseph was almost certain there would be no controlling Anthony. The high hopes for such control that Rocco had placed with Joseph were misguided at best.  
  
Joseph stood up and made his way across the room in search of a stiff drink. The past forty-eight hours had been filled with far too many factors beyond his control and it all had started so many years before with another man's son who had never been Joseph's to command in the first place. Anthony had been a live wire for as long as Joseph could recall and what he once attributed to the zealous behavior of youth, Joseph knew now to be just plain ignorance. He watched his reflection in the mirror as he downed one drink after another seeking solace in the crystal clear liquid. What irony, Joseph thought as the image sneered back at him. He was doing the very same thing that he had chastised Jason for doing on so many occasions. But again Joseph filled his glass and paced the room no longer wishing to stare at the man taunting him from the mirror. Taunting him with ideas that up until now had never once even entered the realm of possibility.  
  
Joseph let his fingers trace the outline of Jason's face contained in one of the many family photos that adorned the mantle. Joseph questioned all that he once knew about himself. Was he really any different than Elizabeth's father? Hadn't he done the very same thing in putting his own needs and wants above those of his son's? Once AJ had made his intentions clear that he wanted nothing to do with the life his father offered him, Joseph headed full throttle toward the remaining heir of the Morgan family and never looked back. He had plunged Jason headlong into every aspect of the business. At first he began by training him in the legitimate ends of their organization. Jason was quick with figures and knew just how to turn a profit for Morgan Enterprises. He still did to this very day. Once satisfied that Jason could hold his own in the board room, Joseph decided it was then time to introduce Jason to all the remaining players on the other side of their very private game. The rest had fallen into place just as Joseph imagined that it would, but now he had his doubts – doubts that were fueled by Jason's angry words.  
  
"I have nothing except for an engineered life. One that was engineered without so much as a thought of what I might want or not want."  
  
The words 'engineered life' stuck in Joseph's head. Had he really done that? Had he 'engineered' Jason's life without even realizing that he was doing it? Joseph's eyes wandered to the wedding photo of AJ and Courtney as his mind drifted to the child she was carrying. Another Morgan heir would soon arrive. Joseph smiled at that thought but Jason's angered voice again infiltrated his joy.  
  
"You, brother, were offered a life that included a wife, children, a joyful existence. This life wasn't good enough for you but it was fine for me! What about a wife and children – how will I ever be able to have those things?"  
  
Suddenly Joseph found himself questioning everything about his life. The notion that Jason felt unable to have all the things he wanted left Joseph breathless. His intention wasn't to wall Jason off from love. He had never intended for his son to feel that love wasn't a part of the world in which they lived.  
  
"How can I in good conscience bring anyone into this impending war?"  
  
Impending war – Joseph mulled over that term. In his life he had seen many turf wars. However, if it hadn't been for Cassandra and her way of grounding him when he needed it most, Joseph wouldn't be where he was today. That thought alone had Joseph baffled as to why Jason believed that love and family weren't part of the package. All his life Jason had been able to watch a mother and father who loved one another and their children. Never once had the tainted world of the Mafia ever touched the walls of their house in such a way that would have led Jason to believe that such and existence wasn't possible.  
  
Joseph swallowed the last traces of the vodka that lay in the bottom of his glass. The voices just beyond the door caught his attention. Leaving the empty glass on his desk Joseph crossed the room and made his way to the open space of the foyer. There stood Elizabeth Malucci. She was indeed beautiful. It was easy for Joseph to see why Jason found her so attractive yet deep within him Joseph knew there was more to the attraction. For Rocco Malucci to care enough about her welfare that he would offer up his own son in exchange for Elizabeth's safety, she had to be more than just a pretty face. Joseph also couldn't deny that Elizabeth brought a sparkle to Jason's eye, a sparkle that his father had never seen before.  
  
It had been an hour since his conversation with Joseph had ended; yet Rocco hadn't been able to remove his hand from the phone. It was as if not letting go of the object would somehow make the conversation not entirely over. Rocco knew very well that he had just given the Morgan family the final nail they needed in sealing Anthony's coffin. The mere idea of that caused Rocco to shudder. How had he gotten to this place? A place where he would turn on his own son in such a way that would end his life. Yet Rocco knew the answer all too well. He had seen it done time and time again. He had been party to many an execution, hits ordered by one family member against another. When he was a part of it, it had all made perfect sense to him but now Rocco questioned a rule he had always thought that he had understood. Family or not, that didn't guarantee any member a free ride. Those who got sloppy or in one way or another brought danger to the organization as a whole – they needed to be dealt with – either by mock execution or silenced. Rocco was certain that the second one of the two would be the only way to deal with his son. Anthony was far too full of himself for a mere whipping to scare him into following the rules. Rocco heard the door in the front hall close. He braced himself for another run in with Anthony but to his surprise Elizabeth came into the room.  
  
"Rocco?" she questioned taking notice of the pained expression on his face.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are you all right? You look pale. Are you in pain? Do you need your medication?" Elizabeth fired off the questions so fast that Rocco didn't even have time to form the words to answer her.  
  
"I'm fine. You needn't worry about me." Rocco gently stroked her outstretched hand. "So, how did your meeting go? Did you and Emily iron out most of the details for the benefit?"  
  
"Yes we did. The last thing to be done is booking the band that will play for the after party."  
  
"A band?" Rocco arched his brow.  
  
"Yes a band," Elizabeth countered playfully.  
  
"Sounds to me like you and Emily plan to shake things up a bit."  
  
"You could say that. She had a great idea to do a Mardi Gras theme. I think that it will be much better than all of the stuffy benefits that we have attended over the years."  
  
"Very true," Rocco concurred. "I'm glad to see that you have embraced this event. It's nice to see you smiling again."  
  
"It's nice to have something to smile about," Elizabeth said. There was double meaning to her statement. "I'm going to grab a quick shower before dinner. You are sure you don't need anything?" she questioned him.  
  
"No – no I am fine. Actually it would appear we will be alone for dinner this evening. Would you mind escorting a doddering old man to dinner at the country club?"  
  
"Doddering old man, my foot! I would be proud to be escorted by such a gentleman." Elizabeth leaned in and kissed Rocco gently on the cheek before making her swift exit.  
  
He looked on until she was merely an image in his mind and finally came to understand that as distasteful as his conversation with Joseph had been, the event was necessary. The only way to ensure that Elizabeth was to continue smiling was to make sure that Anthony was no longer part of the picture. He pulled a gold watch, which had been his father's, from his pocket. He opened the shiny object to reveal a picture of a much younger version of himself and his sister Anna. "I am sorry," he said speaking to Anna's face. "I couldn't – didn't help you then but I can help Elizabeth now. One day I hope that you can forgive me, so maybe I can forgive myself," Rocco whispered as he closed the watch slowly.  
  
Anthony looked down at his wrist again his anger building with each second that ticked off on the watch's face. Waiting around in some seedy dockside bar hadn't been his idea; it had been Reggie's. Anthony pushed his empty beer bottle to the front of the bar to indicate that he required another. He took a long swig of the icy cold liquid and rested his eyes on the swinging door.  
  
"Do you think we could sit somewhere other than the bar?" Reggie asked when he finally made his appearance. The man's eyes darted to the many patrons that were far too close within ear shot for Reggie's liking.  
  
"What the fuck do you want?!" Anthony barked when the pair had come to sit at a table in the far rear of the room.  
  
"I don't know about this assignment," Reggie stuttered. "We're talking about the Morgan family here."  
  
"Excuse me?!?" Anthony brought his hand to his ear and leaned closer to his associate who was noticeably trembling. "I didn't catch that....."  
  
"Another beer?" A waitress' voice interrupted them as she reached for Anthony's half empty bottle that rested on the dirty table.  
  
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!" Anthony's voice cut through the noise that filled the bar.  
  
"I just thought...." the young woman began. "Ooowww," she squealed as Anthony's grip on her arm tightened.  
  
"What? You don't understand fucking English – or has too much bleached fried your freakin' brain? GET OUTTA HERE!!"  
  
Reggie watched the petite blonde's face wrench in pain as Anthony further twisted her arm behind her back. "Tony," Reggie started as the young waitress pleaded for help with her eyes.  
  
"YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!!" Anthony narrowed his eyes when he turned to stare at the other man at his table.  
  
"Okay mister I get the hint. You don't want another beer. I get it." The young woman took the opportunity to wiggle out of Anthony's grasp as he turned his attention to his friend. She wasted no time in making her way back to the bar, in fact you practically ran. If he hadn't been so pissed Anthony might have even laughed at the fear he had brought to the girl's face, but the only think that he could focus on at the moment was the idea that Reggie was looking for a way to back out of his deal.  
  
Reggie eyed Anthony carefully weighing what he should say next or if he should say nothing at all. The little scene he had just watched added to the sick feeling he had had in the pit of his stomach ever since the day he had accepted the leather satchel full of money.  
  
"DON'T YOU EVER FUCKIN' MOUTH OFF TO ME IN PUBLIC AGAIN!!!" Anthony bellowed as he tossed a half-empty bowl of nuts in Reggie's direction.  
  
"You were breakin' her freakin' arm Tony," Reggie said before he could stop the words from falling out of his mouth.  
  
"WHAT!?!?" Reggie's obvious lack of respect for the power sitting before him fueled Anthony's anger. "YOU WANTIN' TO MESS WITH ME OVER SOME FUCKIN' BLONDE BIMBO!?!? DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?"  
  
"No, "Reggie answered as he stopped himself from countering with 'but do you?'  
  
"Good answer!"  
  
Reggie looked on as he polished off the remnants of his beer and wondered what had Anthony wound tighter than a top. He knew it was only a barmaid, but she was a woman. While Reggie wasn't a "made man" yet, he knew the rules. There were always boundaries regarding women and children. That fact added to the papers Reggie had neatly tucked into his leather jacket had him wondering if Anthony wasn't a few shy of a full deck.  
  
"So what's the problem with your little assignment?" Anthony asked. "If you don't go and screw it up, it will be the biggest hit the Morgan family has ever felt." A sadistic smile filled Anthony's face as a clear vision of each one of his plans for the Morgans took center stage in his mind.  
  
"EXACTLY!" Reggie countered exasperated by how Anthony did not grasp the concept of all out Mafia war.  
  
"What's you fucking problem? You took the god-damned money! Just do the freakin' job! It's a cake walk – easiest 200 G's you'll ever make."  
  
"What if something goes wrong? What if it's not such a 'cake walk'?!?" Reggie mocked. "It'll be me they come looking for, not you!"  
  
"With 200 G's I think you should be able to disappear nicely." Anthony sneered.  
  
"Disappear huh?" Reggie countered as he could almost see the wheels in Anthony's head turn.  
  
"Yeah, to some nice tropical island where your only worry will be which naked girl to fuck next!" Anthony cackled.  
  
Reggie joined Anthony in his laugh, but he wasn't so sure that he'd be sitting on some beach. More than likely, he'd be in a body bag courtesy of Joseph and Jason Morgan. "You sure there's no way that anything can go wrong? We are talking about messing with women here. I'm as good as dead if....."  
  
"AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT YOU'RE DEAD!! Anthony clenched his jaw as his breath came out in long hard bursts. "So don't go thinking you can switch sides or anything – cause there won't be a damn place you could hide from me that I couldn't find you and when I did you would have wished that the Morgans had killed you!"  
  
Reggie swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. "I ain't switching sides, Tony!"  
  
"You damn well better not. GET OUTTA HERE!! Don't you have work to do?"  
  
"Yeah – yeah I do."  
  
Anthony raised his hand in the air summonsing another bottle of beer as he watched Reggie exited the bar. Up until now Reggie had always been a loyal soldier, but Anthony couldn't take the chance that Reggie's fear of the Morgan family wouldn't convert him into a turncoat. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed up a little insurance. "Ralphie – I have a job for you. Grab Albert and keep a close eye – I mean a very close eye on our dear friend Reggie. I don't care about the fucking trucks....," Anthony said angered that another one of his men had decided to question him that evening. "You just make sure that Reggie remembers whose team he plays for. Got it?!?"  
  
"Got it boss." Anthony heard Ralphie answer him. Anthony tipped his beer to his lips again and thought about how everything would all be his soon enough. 


	25. Chapter 24

The noise coming from the outer office swirled around Jason as he attempted to focus on the figures in the files that were spread out before him. While he knew very well that his father had barred him from all aspects of the Coronary Care Benefit, Jason was still the person responsible for allocating the matching funds for the event. It was the one tie to the gala that he had done his best to maintain.  
  
Jason let his fingers graze the keypad on the phone in front of him. He had Elizabeth's cell phone number committed to memory and toyed with the idea of calling her. The image of her laying naked across the king-sized bed at the Four Seasons Ritz Carlton was burned in his mind. Jason shifted in his chair as the heat radiated from his loins. The scant thought of the heights they had achieved together not more than twenty minutes before was getting the better of him. In the last week, the pair had made the rounds throughout the city's hotels. They had made stops at Hilton & Towers, Embassy Suites, Congress Plaza Hotel and now the Ritz Carlton. Each time they adorned a new alias and pretended that the world outside the four walls of the hotel room ceased to exist. While Jason treasured all of those stolen moments, they were just that – stolen moments. He wanted so much more than just some afternoon delight. He wanted more for himself and Elizabeth.  
  
Jason walked over to the wall of windows that overlooked the cityscape. The stone peaks of Excalibur loomed large in the distance. He chuckled to himself as he recalled Elizabeth's reaction to the club. That night had been the beginning for them, and each subsequent time together only served to draw Jason further into a tangled web of lies. A web of lies that he wasn't looking to escape.  
  
It was so easy for Jason to let himself get lost in the throngs of passion that he and Elizabeth shared. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift to the picture he had of their bodies melded into one form. He recounted the ecstasy Elizabeth had brought to him and controlled a shiver as it raced down his spine. Ecstasy that before her touch Jason hadn't even imagined existed. He could hear the thumping of his heart resounding in his ears and feel his breathing quicken as the rapture came to consume him again. In moments like these it was so easy for Jason to get lost in the rush of emotions he felt for Elizabeth. It was in times like this that he could delude himself with his own wishful fantasy, a fantasy that held a future for them. A place where Elizabeth was Jason's wife and not Anthony Malucci's. The idea that Elizabeth was Anthony's wife needled at Jason, as did the argument that he had had with Joseph. His father's words raced through the cavities of Jason's mind – no matter how much he attempted to stop them......  
  
_"So you were with Anthony's wife?"  
"Like I said, her marriage isn't even a marriage."  
"That's not the answer I was looking for. Were you or weren't you with Anthony's wife last night?"  
"What if I was?"  
"Jason – what have you done?"  
"Nothing that Anthony hasn't done to Elizabeth."  
"Do you hear yourself? Elizabeth and Anthony are married Jason. Married – do you know what that means?"  
"Yes – but might I suggest you try explaining to her husband. If I recall not that long ago he was standing in this very house with a woman we know wasn't his wife. Why is it I am the one getting the lecture?"  
"You can't twist the facts around to suit your own needs son. I don't care what Anthony does or doesn't do. He and Elizabeth are still married and in my book that's all that matters!"  
  
_Jason let a heavy sigh escape his lips as pinched the bridge of his nose. His head knew that Joseph was right – his head screamed those very same words on numerous occasions. However it was Jason's heart that was now in control. His heart had forced him to take leave of his senses. It had forced him to forget all the rites and rituals that made the system he lived within actually work. Up until a few weeks ago that had been enough for him, but now the allure of money, power and domination took a back seat to things such as tenderness, companionship and true love. The sound of the phone's shrill ring caused Jason to leave the life he dreamed of and return to the life he had. "Morgan."  
  
"We got a problem boss." Johnny's voice came through the line.  
  
"What kind of problem?" Jason had instructed Johnny to keep a watchful eye on Anthony Malucci. He couldn't rid himself of the feeling that he had to always be one step ahead of Elizabeth's husband, especially now.  
  
"Looks like Tony boy is playing hide and seek with a few of our trucks again. The two trucks on the New York run never made it."  
  
"SHIT!" Jason's hand hit hard against his ebony desktop.  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Johnny asked.  
  
"Malucci must have a death wish," Jason more to himself than to Johnny.  
  
"The New York boys are seeing red, Jason," Johnny continued. "They expected their shipment and they got zilch!"  
  
"I'll handle smoothing the ruffled feathers in New York."  
  
"What about Tony?" Johnny couldn't stop himself from asking the question as he imagined what the Morgan family would have in store for the younger Malucci.  
  
"Not to worry, Malucci will certainly get what's coming to him. My father made it perfectly clear that there would be no second chances. Too bad Tony was too stupid to heed the warning." Jason leaned back triumphantly in his chair secure in the knowledge that Anthony Malucci had just hung himself.  
  
"So what am I supposed to tell the New York boys?" Johnny questioned anxious at being the one left holding the proverbial bag.  
  
"Tell them that they will be equally compensated for their loses and that either my father or I will be in touch shortly."  
  
"If that doesn't wash?" Johnny couldn't help but doubt that a few words about making up what had been lost would be enough to pacify the men standing just beyond the glass of the phone booth.  
  
"Make it wash," Jason's voice was cryptic.  
  
"Got it."  
  
"When you get back to Chicago," Jason added, "I think it's time that we set a few of those traps my father mentioned." Jason felt a gleeful sneer emerge on his face.  
  
"You got it boss."  
  
Jason placed the receiver in its resting-place as he practically somersaulted around the room. Anthony Malucci had just served himself up to the Morgan family, on a silver platter no less. There would be no reason for Joseph to deny Jason the action that he had so long sought against Anthony. Joseph made it known publicly that he wouldn't tolerate Anthony's need to write his own rules and Rocco had sanctioned whatever actions Joseph deemed necessary to keep his son in line. What was to happen next would certainly be in keeping with the rules that had been ingrained in Jason for years. This was one time he would savor such protocols.  
  
Jason wrestled with either calling the LaCocca's in New York or heading straight to his father with the news that Johnny had just delivered. He was filled with the desire of seeing Anthony swinging from a noose so much so that placating the LaCocca's was the last thing on Jason's mind. He got up and headed straight for his father's office but he stopped short as he wondered what other things Anthony's sticky fingers might have touched. Jason crossed the room to where his computer sat and logged into Morgan Enterprises company network. His eyes scanned the many 'companies' that deposited funds into the various Morgan family holdings. His father had set up a very intricate map of twists and turns that to the naked eye, or even to the best IRS auditor, appeared to be on the surface above board. Each clan under the Morgan jurisdiction had one legitimate company that funneled money in and out of the various divisions of Morgan Enterprises. The splinter companies were the ones used to launder the money that would eventually hit the legit books. It was a large continuous cycle that netted Jason's family and the other millions and millions of dollars. Each of the other families were paid handsomely for their affiliation with Joseph and Jason Morgan, and the Morgan family was compensated for being the ones to take the heat should the Feds ever came a calling. Jason knew the likelihood of that was something next to impossible.  
  
Jason pulled up the files regarding Malucci Manufacturing and its splinter companies. At first glance nothing seemed out of place. However on closer inspection Jason noticed that the money that was to circle back and hit Morgan Enterprises on the third run through was nearly ten grand shy of what was expected. Each splinter company was holding back nearly three G's each time that the money was filtered back through to the Morgan Enterprises accounts. "Back to your old tricks I see?" Jason hissed as he printed out the incriminating pieces of paper.  
  
To satisfy his own curiosity Jason reviewed the many records of the other families that were in bed with his own. He wanted to be sure that none of the others had decided to take it to the mattress along with Anthony Malucci. If there would be war, the Morgans needed to know just who their allies were going to be. It appeared that Anthony Malucci was the only kamikaze in the bunch. Ammunition in hand, Jason headed toward his father's plush office. He couldn't wait to blow Anthony Malucci out of the water. It brought Jason great pleasure to know that all the aggravation that Malucci had inflicted on Jason's family would now be atoned for. Jason walked passed Joseph's secretary, Rita, without so much as a word to her. He was a man on a mission -- a mission that would finally rid himself of the ever-present thorn in his side known as Anthony Malucci. "I think we have a problem," Jason stated.  
  
"What's that?" Joseph countered with a hardened tone. He and his son had yet to make amends from their fight a few days before.  
  
"Anthony Malucci," Jason said smugly. He was thoroughly enjoying the fact that, for once, Joseph would have to take action.  
  
"Don't you ever tire of the same old song and dance?" his father questioned letting out an exasperated sigh. Jason's tenaciousness regarding Anthony only complicated matters for Joseph. He hadn't been able to rid himself of Rocco's not so hidden request to handle Anthony by any means necessary. He still found that thought unsettling and now having his own son standing before him grinning like some Cheshire cat made him for the first time in his wish that someone else had been "The Boss".  
  
"You could ask Malucci the same question," Jason countered agitated by his father's nonchalant attitude.  
  
"Jason, would you please stop with the riddles?" Joseph sighed again as he stared into the determined eyes of his second son.  
  
"Apparently your little talk with Anthony did little to alleviate his habit of pocketing things that don't belong to him."  
  
"JASON!" Joseph spat angered by the fact that his son was still making little if any sense. He had to wonder if his anger came from the fact that he didn't want to hear what he knew Jason was about to say. It would be one more thing to add to the growing list of Anthony Malucci's indiscretions.  
  
"I just heard from Johnny."  
  
"About?"  
  
"The trucks never made it to the LaCocca's"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Wait, it gets better. Anthony has decided that he likes eating alone. He's been neglecting his taxes again."  
  
"Rocco assured me....."  
  
"Could you just save the tired rhetoric, Papa? Rocco, no matter what you want to delude yourself into thinking can't control his son! It's time that we control Anthony for him!"  
  
Jason's words conjured up Joseph's conversation with his long time friend_.  
  
"I need you to control him. You are the only one, Joseph, even remotely able to take on such a task."  
"If I can't control him, then what?"  
"Do what needs to be done. Will you help me?"  
"I will do what I can."  
_  
"Papa!" Jason's voice pulled Joseph from his past thoughts.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's time we set those traps for Tony. I think he's played our family for a fool for the last time. Don't you?"  
  
"What proof do you have?" Joseph questioned.  
  
"PROOF?! Here's the damn proof!" Jason almost threw the folders he had in his hands on his father's desk. "It's all there in black and white. Follow the money trail, or should I say the lack of the money trail?"  
  
Joseph eyeed the papers in front of him cautiously. He did his best to hide his fury from his son. The last thing Joseph Morgan needed was for Jason to see just how enraged he truly was. This was a slap in the face for him. Anthony Malucci had taken Joseph's respectful gesture and made a mockery out of it. "Are you sure these are the correct figures?" Joseph strained to remain composed.  
  
"YES!" Jason was now exasperated by his father's seemingly calm reaction.  
  
"You are certain that there can't be a mistake in these somewhere?"  
  
"WHAT!? You are kidding right? Besides myself, you and Mikey no one has access to those accounts." Jason was at a total loss as to why his father couldn't see what was so obviously staring him in the face.  
  
"There are some legitimate accounts here, Jason. Isn't it possible that there could have been an accounting error? Why is it that your first instinct is to assume that Anthony is up to his old tricks?"  
  
"Why is it that you don't?!" Jason countered with an angry voice.  
  
"Maybe it's because I know how desperate you want Anthony Malucci eliminated from the equation."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"It would be much easier for you if Anthony wasn't part of the equation any longer. I feel that you are looking for a way for this family to take action against him. That would clear the avenue for you to have Elizabeth without any repercussions. I am sorry son, but I don't plan on helping you do that."  
  
**"WHAT!?" **Jason's voice bounced off the confines of the office. "I can't believe that you think that little of me!" Jason tried to hide his hurt, but it spilled through nonetheless. "Anthony was making his own rules long before I even knew who his wife was! That hasn't changed."  
  
"No – but you have."  
  
"How? I still want what's best for this family, and what's best for us is to make an example out of Malucci before the others decide that they too can take what they feel they deserve!"  
  
"If you wanted what was best for this family, then you wouldn't have taken up with Anthony's wife......"  
  
"Now look who's singing the same tune? Why doesn't it matter to you that the LaCooca's think we duped them or that our accounts are shy tens of thousands of dollars? Why is it that all that seems to matter to you is whom I share my bed with!?"  
  
"You're sharing your bed with a married woman Jason!"  
  
"Like I need reminded of that fact!" Jason shot back.  
  
"Then you are saying that you know it's wrong, not to mention explosive, given who Elizabeth's husband is?" Joseph was hoping to see a glimmer of understanding in his son's eyes.  
  
"That's not what I came in here to discuss and no matter what you may think this had nothing to do with Elizabeth Malucci! It's all about Anthony! It's always been about him. He's an arrogant, son of a bitch who thinks that the rules don't apply to him. I think it's high time that we make him see otherwise. Don't you?" Jason leaned his hand against his father's desk and let their eyes meet. He was totally flabbergasted that his father didn't see the magnitude of what he had just brought to his attention. Instead of enacting the justice that Jason knew was necessary, Joseph was content on focusing on his son's motives. That very thought angered Jason to no end.  
  
"Jason, this is more complicated than you realize. I need more proof."  
  
"Since when do you need more proof than my word?"  
  
"Jason ...."  
  
"I know Rocco is your friend." Jason mocked the words he was sure were about to pass by his father's lips.  
  
Joseph ignored the blatant jab. "I need more proof since this has become far too personal for you."  
  
"It's always been PERSONAL!" Jason practically screamed. "Anthony made it personal, not me!"  
  
"I disagree."  
  
Jason felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand erect. Never before had his business savvy been dismissed by his father. "So what, you are just going to let Anthony get way with stealing from us?" Jason asked again.  
  
"I will handle this. The further you are from the Malucci's and I mean all of the Malucci's the better it will be for everyone."  
  
Jason threw up his hands in frustration as he stormed from the room.  
  
Joseph crossed the room closing the door behind Jason. He was finally able to expel his own rage at the arrogance of Anthony Malucci. He again looked at the files that Jason had brought to his attention. The fire in the pit of his stomach grew with each account that Joseph flipped to. Not only had they lost tens of thousands of dollars but Anthony had also taken two truckloads of electronics that the LaCooca family in New York had been expecting.  
  
He sat torn by his racing thoughts. Joseph wanted nothing more than to exact the justice that he was so famous for, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. No matter what Rocco said, Joseph was certain that his friend didn't have the strength to weather his son's funeral. There had to be another way. "Dom?" Joseph's voice pierced the phone wire.  
  
"Yeah boss?" a husky voice returned.  
  
"Beef up security on all of our runs and put two of our best men on Anthony Malucci. I want to know if the man so much as sneezes. Am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Crystal."  
  
"I want daily reports on his activities."  
  
"You got it."  
  
Joseph leaned back in his chair. He knew this wasn't exactly what Jason had wanted, but for the time being it was the best his conscience would allow. 


	26. Chapter 25

The voice filtering through the intercom on his desk startled Joseph. "Mr. Morgan?" his secretary Rita's voice questioned again.  
  
"Yes?" he finally responded.  
  
"Those theater tickets you were waiting for have arrived. Would you like me to bring them in or would you prefer to have them sent home?"  
  
"Bring them in."  
  
"Right away sir."  
  
Joseph had pulled some strings in obtaining tickets to a performance of Barefoot in the Park that was playing at the Stage Right Dinner Theater. He thought the lighthearted comedy about newlyweds in Central Park would help him to forget the dark clouds dangling above his head. Those clouds had become even more ominous with the information that Jason had just laid at his feet. Joseph opened the folders in front of him again. The facts and figures were undeniable. Anthony Malucci was doing to Joseph's organization what he had accused the Morgans of doing. Anthony was practically raping them.  
  
"Here you are Mr. Morgan," Rita said as she handed him the messenger envelope.  
  
"Thank you Rita. Is Jason in his office?" Joseph asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. Would you like me to call him for you?" she returned politely.  
  
"Yes. I would like to speak with him."  
  
"Right away sir."  
  
Joseph leaned back in his chair and tried to decide what he would say to his son. He knew that Jason had spoken the truth earlier. Joseph was certain that Anthony needed to pay for his lack of respect. And even though Rocco had given him carte blanche to do as he saw fit, something held him back.  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Morgan." Rita's voice permeated the room once again.  
  
"Yes?" Joseph said waiting for her response.  
  
"Jason has gone for the day."  
  
"Thank you Rita." Joseph heard a note of defeat in his tone.  
  
"Will there be anything else sir?" she asked.  
  
"No, thank you."  
  
Joseph let out a heavy sigh as he ran his hands across his tired face. The expression of utter disbelief that Jason had worn as he stormed out of the room earlier haunted Joseph. Why hadn't he given credence to his son's words? All Jason said about Anthony being the one to make things personal was more than true, yet Joseph wasn't able to get past the idea that Jason was having an affair with Anthony's wife. That thought was like a menacing force that clouded everything in Joseph's mind. While he knew that neither was tied to the other at the moment, he couldn't find a way to separate them in his head. He had so many fragmented thoughts running rampant through his brain and they all centered on Elizabeth Malucci. It amazed Joseph that a girl he barely knew had turned his world, his son's and that of his dearest friend upside down. It was almost as though Elizabeth possessed some whirlwind force that enveloped all three men. Joseph pulled the tickets to that night's theater performance from their envelope. He hoped that for one night he could get lost in the sweet world of Neil Simon's words and forget the job that had been laid at his feet.  
  
Emily knew she was playing with fire as she placed a call to the Malucci estate. This fire had the potential to ignite into a full-scale inferno yet Emily wasn't able to stop herself from playing matchmaker. For too many years now, she had watched Jason walk through his life without ever truly experiencing all the joys it had to offer. It was about time for that to change and Emily had decided she knew just how to get the ball rolling. "Elizabeth Malucci please," Emily said to the servant's voice that answered the phone.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Hi Elizabeth, it's Emily."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"I have some good news and some bad news," Emily laughed.  
  
"Good news first please."  
  
"The band we are interested in booking for the benefit is playing at Blue Chicago tonight."  
  
"Great – what's the bad news?"  
  
"This is the last night they are there and if we don't get to hear them they won't be back in the area until a couple days before the benefit. We'll need to get to the club tonight. I know it's short notice....."  
  
"That's not a problem." Elizabeth cut her off mid sentence.  
  
"Really? Are you sure that you can make it?"  
  
"Yes. I will just have to make sure that Rocco is set for the evening. Even though he's been trying to hide it, I can tell he's been feeling a bit under the weather. I just want to make sure the staff is aware of how to get in touch with me."  
  
"That will be great. I will call the club and see about reserving a table for us. You are familiar with where the club is, right?"  
  
"Yes, yes I am." Elizabeth smiled. Blue Chicago was just around the corner from the Best Western River North – the site of her first of many encounters with Jason.  
  
"Great. What do you say to meeting there at nine-thirty?"  
  
"That will work for me."  
  
"Great. See you then." Emily placed the receiver in its cradle and smiled to herself. The first steps in her plan had been taken. Now all she had to do was to get Jason to the club without arousing her already suspicious father.  
  
Elizabeth found Rocco sitting quietly in the solarium looking over a few files that Enrico had brought to him from the office of Malucci Manufacturing. "You're not over doing it are you?" she asked softly as she came to stand beside his chair.  
  
He removed his glasses and gave Elizabeth a brilliant smile. Now that he was secure in the fact that she would always be protected, he was able to rest a little easier. "No," he assured her. "I am actually just reviewing our contracts with Matthews Construction. Once the benefit is over, we will be breaking ground for the new Coronary Care Unit. I was just making sure that Anthony dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's."  
  
"And?" Elizabeth asked knowing her husband never followed any set of rules but his own.  
  
"So far so good."  
  
"That surprises me," she remarked offhandedly. "Isn't AJ Morgan married to Mr. Matthews' daughter Courtney?"  
  
"Yes he is....."  
  
"Well, knowing how much Anthony despises the Morgan family, I can't believe that he agreed to work with Matthews Construction."  
  
"He didn't. I did," Rocco stated firmly. "Matthews Construction has a fine reputation and they were the best candidate for this type of project. Not to mention that AJ Morgan has brought a great deal of business savvy to the company. Jack Matthews is a lucky man."  
  
"I would have thought that AJ would have gone to work with his father at Morgan Enterprises," Elizabeth questioned. She was curious as to why both of Joseph Morgan's sons weren't at the helm of his company.  
  
"AJ wanted to make it on his own," Rocco offered without revealing the whole sorted truth about AJ's absence from the family business.  
  
"I guess it's lucky for Joseph that he had two sons." Elizabeth laughed thinking about how lucky she had also been.  
  
"Yes. Jason has been quite helpful in his father's business endeavors."  
  
"I don't know him all that well," Elizabeth lied. "He has been to a few of the benefit meetings, but for what I have seen of him he is a generous man."  
  
"Like father, like son. Too bad I can't say the same for my own son." Rocco tried to hide the disappointment he felt for how poorly Anthony had turned out.  
  
Elizabeth rested her hands gently on the older man's shoulders. It was easy to see how badly Anthony's total disregard for his father and the codes he had been taught affected Rocco Malucci. "It's not your fault, Rocco," Elizabeth whispered softly.  
  
"Who else is there to blame?" he gasped. "It was I who was to mold Anthony into the next Capo for this family. I have failed miserably. While Joseph has sons he can be proud to call his own, I have one who shames me at every turn."  
  
"It's not your fault," Elizabeth said again. "You can't control the uncontrollable."  
  
"Elizabeth," Rocco reached for her delicate hands. "You are mistaken. In this business, domination is everything. If I am unable to control my own flesh and blood, well," he sighed heavily, "that doesn't speak too highly of me."  
  
Elizabeth was at a loss for words. The man that she had grown to love like a father sat before her hurting and she didn't know what to do to help him. "I'm sorry," she whispered gently kissing his cheek.  
  
"No child, it is I who is sorry. This isn't your burden. It's mine. Just being my son's wife is burden enough for you. You look nice this evening," he said suddenly taking notice of the black sequined cocktail dress that clung to her petite frame. "Where are you off to this evening?"  
  
"Well I was going to Chicago Blue to meet Emily so that we could finally get the band booked for the benefit but I think I will call and cancel."  
  
"Nonsense!"  
  
"Rocco I would feel much better if I just stayed home with you tonight."  
  
"There is no need for you to keep an old fool company. Besides you said this was for the benefit did you not?"  
  
"Yes, so?"  
  
"You go. I need to be sure that Malucci Manufacturing is well represented for this function and you are a lovely representative by far." Elizabeth blushed at his kind words. "Not to mention that you are already dressed to go."  
  
"You are sure you wouldn't prefer that I stayed with you?"  
  
"GO!" Rocco said forcefully as he attempted to hide a smile.  
  
"I will have my cell phone on all night. If you need anything, have Helena call me right away."  
  
"I won't need anything," he assured her.  
  
"Have her call me," Elizabeth repeated as she made her way toward the door.  
  
Rocco watched his daughter in law leave the room. He was sorry that she was tied to his son, but thankful just the same that she had entered his own life.  
  
Joseph rattled around his study as he waited for Cassandra to finish getting ready for their evening on the town. His encounter with Jason that afternoon left him unsettled, as did the fact that his own son had yet to return home. Joseph's obvious thought was that Jason had found his way into Elizabeth's arms once again. He pulled back the drapes and his eyes were drawn to the crystal clear water of the elaborate pool off the terrace. That's where it had all started. One innocent request from Rocco Malucci had escalated into an all out love affair. All Joseph could do was shake his head in disgust.  
  
"I was told you wanted to speak with me." Jason's hardened voice startled his father.  
  
"Yes. Where have you been all this time?" There was no stopping the edge that Joseph's own voice held.  
  
"What – you mean to tell me I finally lost your ever present tail?" Jason smirked still angered by his father's nonchalant dismissal of his earlier concerns.  
  
"I don't want to have you followed."  
  
"Then don't!"  
  
"If you aren't going to look out for your own welfare, then someone must do it."  
  
"My welfare?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What a joke!" Jason would have laughed if there had been something even slightly funny about all of this.  
  
"Jason," Joseph sighed as he crossed the room to stand before his son. "I don't want to argue with you."  
  
"Oh really?" To Jason that's all they every seemed to do anymore.  
  
"Yes really. Can't you just admit that what you are doing with Anthony's wife is wrong?" The older Morgan asked as desperation filled his voice. "That, in essence, you are asking for a war even greater than the one Anthony is already waging?"  
  
Jason stood silent knowing the answer his father wanted to hear, knowing the answer was what his head continually shouted, but he couldn't bring his lips to form the words. He couldn't let himself say out loud that his falling in love with another man's wife was wrong, not when it felt so right.  
  
"Jason."  
  
"I don't know how to answer that." That was the best Jason could offer his father.  
  
"But son, I think that you do."  
  
"Not with an answer that you would find acceptable," Jason countered.  
  
"Why are you being so blind?"  
  
"I'm not – not as blind as you are. I brought you clear, concrete evidence that Anthony is up to his old tricks but rather than act on it in the manner in which I expected you to, you question my intentions."  
  
Joseph saw the same pained expression cloud Jason's features again as he spoke. "I...it's not..." Joseph searched for some way, any way to apologize to his son but that apology wouldn't come.  
  
"It's not what?" Jason forced.  
  
"I will handle Anthony in due time."  
  
"You've been saying that for months now, but still you sit on your hands and let him run roughshod over this family. I don't understand that!" Jason let out a frustrated groan.  
  
"Thank you for bringing Anthony's indiscretions to my attention."  
  
"INDISCRETIONS!?" Jason nearly bellowed. "Stealing was never an indiscretion that you would tolerate before. So why are you doing it know, and don't tell me it has anything to do with Elizabeth."  
  
"Well that certainly complicates things, wouldn't you agree?" Joseph shot back feeling as if he was losing another battle with his son.  
  
"Complicates what?" Cassandra asked as she entered the study in the midst of the men's heated conversation.  
  
"You look lovely darling." Joseph changed the subject without missing a beat.  
  
"Thank you," Cassandra kissed her husband's cheek softly before continuing. "Complicate what?" she asked again.  
  
"AJ's company is the construction firm is in charge of the expansion of the Coronary Care Unit. Since we are a major benefactor, it may appear as if there is a bit of nepotism taking place," Joseph offered.  
  
Jason almost felt himself chuckle at his father's words. Joseph Morgan was as smooth as silk when it came to having an answer for everything.  
  
"Nepotism has never been something you have never worried about in the past. Why are you starting now?" Cassandra asked believing that there was more to this exchange than her husband was letting on.  
  
"Well it's more a concern for AJ than it is for me." Nice save Papa Jason thought to himself. "You know how adamant he is about not having any handouts from his father." For the first time, Jason heard a tiny hint of resentment in his father's voice for his eldest son.  
  
"I'm so glad you are home Jase. I need you to do me a huge favor," Emily said bursting between the rest of her family.  
  
"What?" Jason asked as all eyes were now drawn to Emily.  
  
"I need you to hear a blues band play at Blue Chicago tonight."  
  
"What?" Jason returned. He was more than a bit puzzled.  
  
"This is the only night that Willie Kent & the Gents will be playing and they are the band that I am trying to book to play at the charity benefit."  
  
"Why can't you go?" Jason asked. He wasn't really in the mood to sit in some smoke filled bar that night.  
  
"There was a mix up with the flowers for the wedding....."  
  
"What?" Cassandra added her voice to a conversation that up until that point she had had no interest in.  
  
"The orchids that we wanted," Emily turned toward her mother, "were ruined somehow or another. Apparently there was a problem with the greenhouse and the crop that was slated for our wedding. I don't really know all the details. All I do know is that Zander and I have to start from scratch." Emily shifted uneasily. She had never been all that good at lying.  
  
"Oh Emily," Cassandra cried. "I should join the two of you. It took us weeks to pick out just the right arrangements......"  
  
"Cassandra," Joseph interjected, "we have dinner theater tickets for this evening."  
  
"Mama please, you have done so much already for this wedding. You deserve a night out to relax. I promise that we won't make any final decisions without you." Emily smiled.  
  
"Dear we are already going to be late as it is," Joseph sighed.  
  
"Jason would you please do this for me?" Emily heard herself beg.  
  
"I'm not really into blues. I don't think I would be the best person to send...."  
  
"I don't have anyone else," she gasped.  
  
"A blues band for a charity benefit?" Jason rolled his eyes with a questioning tone. "What exactly do you have in mind for this event anyway?"  
  
"It's a Mardi Gras theme."  
  
"Mardi Gras?" Joseph said before any of the others were able to.  
  
"Yes. You said Rocco was looking for a younger image. Well I found it. Jason please...please just do me this favor." Emily reached for her brother the way she had when they were younger and she wanted Jason to do something he didn't want to. "Please..."  
  
"All right, all right already. I'll go."  
  
"Thank you, thank you. You are a lifesaver." Emily kissed Jason as she tried not to make eye contact with her father. Even without looking, she could feel his eyes staring her down. In her own roundabout way, Emily had defied him. She was more than certain Joseph would be less than pleased about that fact.  
  
Jason paid his ten-dollar cover at the door and stepped inside a club that wasn't much more than a hole in the wall. Tables lined his right and a bar full of stools was to his left. There was a small dance floor and a bank of booths just to the left of that. Jason couldn't imagine why his sister had decided on a blues band or why she felt that he would be a good judge of them. His confusion lasted until he looked up to see Elizabeth sitting at the table Emily had said would be reserved for him. 


	27. Chapter 26

Jason stood frozen, almost as if he was suspended in time as he watched Elizabeth. Suddenly Emily's insistence that he be the one to review this blues band made perfect sense to him. Elizabeth had her back to where he stood and Jason took advantage of that fact. He was enjoying observing her without her knowledge. Jason smiled as he stared at Elizabeth bobbing her head to the music that drifted from the jukebox while the patrons awaited the evening's main attraction. Looking at her now, Jason found it hard to imagine that she was Anthony Malucci's wife. Elizabeth was nothing like any of the Mafia wives he had come to know. He couldn't help but wonder if that wasn't part of his attraction to her.  
  
Jason's eyes caught the black fabric of Elizabeth's dress as it sparkled under the spotlights that danced around the tiny room. The deep "V" of the dress showed off just enough of Elizabeth's bare back to start a slow burn in Jason's loins. He made his way to the already crowded bar. "Two dry martinis please," he said as he laid a twenty-dollar bill on the lacquered surface. With drinks in hand, Jason headed in the direction of the small table where Elizabeth sat watching the members of the band as they were beginning to tune up for the night's performance. "Is this seat taken?" Jason asked in the form of a hushed whisper as he let his lips brush against Elizabeth's supple neck.  
  
"JASON!?" Elizabeth turned around stunned to see him standing behind her. "You aren't Emily."  
  
"Are you disappointed?" he pouted.  
  
"NO," Elizabeth assured him as she reached out to touch his hand. "Is one of those for me?" She motioned to the two glasses in Jason's grasp.  
  
"Yes." Jason took a seat alongside of Elizabeth as he drank her in. Each time he saw her, he found something new and attractive about her. At this very moment, it was her slender neck that he couldn't take his eyes off of. She had her hair in an upsweep with tiny ringlets cascading down to frame her face. It took all Jason had inside of him not to reach out and touch her. While Emily had obviously set up this little meeting, Jason had to remind himself that being in public with Anthony's wife was a less than an ideal situation.  
  
"Thank you," she said as she reached for the frosted glass Jason sat in front of her. As they waited for the band to begin the first set, Elizabeth and Jason sat in an awkward silence. They were more like two high schoolers on their first date rather than the lovers that they actually were.  
  
"So, this is the last detail that needs to be wrapped up for the benefit?" Jason questioned breaking the silence that surrounded the table.  
  
"Yes. I am hoping that I get a chance to talk to their manager between sets. We really need a firm commitment from them regarding playing for the benefit."  
  
"I'm sure that they would be more than happy to play for such a worthwhile cause. Besides, it would be great exposure for them," Jason said  
  
"You would think, but Emily was hoping that they might play for free and personally I am having my doubts. I spoke with Dr. Harner the other day. He explained that the hospital budget for this event is only forty thousand dollars. With all that Emily and I have already done, we are fast approaching that mark. I am just concerned that we might be left without any entertainment."  
  
"I'm sure that Morgan Enterprises could pick up the tab for the band if need be," Jason said without thinking. All he wanted to do was erase the look of worry that clouded Elizabeth's face.  
  
"Jason, your company has already done enough for this event. You are matching all the funds raised. No, I will have to approach Anthony. Malucci Manufacturing will just have to pick up the cost of the band if the hospital's budget can't absorb it."  
  
Jason felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand erect at the sound of Anthony's name and the thought of Elizabeth having to ask him for anything. "It wouldn't be any trouble for Morgan Enterprises to pick up the expense of the band," Jason reiterated. "It will be minimal at best."  
  
"This is supposed to be Anthony's event," Elizabeth said eyeing Jason from across the table. "He didn't take too kindly to your generous off to begin with, and I certainly am not looking for a repeat performance from him."  
  
"What do you mean 'repeat performance'? What did Anthony do to you?" Jason's voice grew louder as wild thoughts of what Malucci was capable of ran through his head.  
  
"Come on Jason, be realistic. You mean to tell me you didn't know that your grand gesture was going to send Anthony through the roof?" Elizabeth pulled back and gave Jason an all knowing look.  
  
"That wasn't my intention."  
  
Elizabeth stifled a laugh. "Jason Morgan, you aren't a very good liar."  
  
"What?" He shifted in his seat, not really wanting to continue with the direction in which this conversation was headed.  
  
"Well Mr. Morgan," Elizabeth leaned in close enough that Jason could feel her hot breath on his cheek. "You can't fool me into believing that you didn't enjoy every minute of stealing Anthony's thunder or that you didn't know you were doing it!" Elizabeth traced the outline of Jason's jaw with the tip of her finger sending a shiver straight down his spine.  
  
"I didn't do anything that Morgan Enterprises hasn't done for Dr. Harner and the hospital before. The Morgan family has always been a generous benefactor. Why should that change now just because Malucci Manufacturing is involved?"  
  
"That's all semantics and you know it, Jason."  
  
"Elizabeth I really don't think going to Anthony is the best way to handle this. You just said so yourself that he's none too happy about having to work with my family....."  
  
"My point exactly. If he finds out that you are dumping more money into this and getting more recognition out of it, he'll ....."  
  
"He'll what Elizabeth?" Jason feared the answer to that question.  
  
"He's just going to be even more unbearable, that's all." Elizabeth looked deep into Jason's icy blue eyes and saw the fear that she had seen the very first time they had come together as one. Immediately she knew what he had to be thinking. Jason was thinking that their being together was too dangerous. He was thinking that each time they were together, it brought the chance that Anthony could find out about them closer to being a reality. This conversation wasn't helping matters any. It only served to feed Jason's fears. "Listen to me," Elizabeth took his hands in her own. "I can handled Anthony." Jason wasn't at all buying the conviction that Elizabeth was attempting to place in her voice. "He is my husband," she stressed.  
  
"Yes, and a man who I know scares you to death!" Jason countered as he slipped his hands out of hers. Elizabeth turned away, unable to meet his intense gaze. She was indeed fearful of Anthony, but letting Jason in on that fact wouldn't get her anywhere at the moment, except maybe a one way ticket to finding herself all alone again. "Look at me Elizabeth." Jason forced her azure eyes to meet his. "Please don't push Anthony just to prove some point. Let me take care of the money for the band or better yet, I could have Emily ask Papa. Anything would be better than you having to ask Anthony for it."  
  
"Jason, please stop this!" Elizabeth cried. "I am asking Anthony for the money and that's final. I can't let you do this!"  
  
"Elizabeth......"  
  
"NO!" She cut him off before he was able to say anymore. "You and your company have done enough."  
  
Jason studied her carefully. It wasn't hard for him to see that there was no budging her regarding the subject. It was that determination that frightened and excited him in the very same breath. "Would you at least consider discussing it with Rocco rather than Anthony? My father has a great respect for him. I can't help but think that he would be far more receptive than his son." Jason held his breath as he waited for Elizabeth to answer.  
  
"Please just let me handle this. I can deal with Anthony. I know you don't believe me, but really I can."  
  
Jason sat his empty martini glass down hard on the faux grain table. His frustration was getting the better of him. The awkward silence had returned as neither of them would look at the other. Elizabeth knew how much their relationship could cost Jason, while he sat thinking that one false move on either of their parts could endanger Elizabeth's life. Both sat stymied by those notions, and also by the fact that the idea of never seeing the other again left them feeling barren.  
  
"Jason....Elizabeth....." They spoke in unison.  
  
"You first," Jason said in his usual gentleman like manner.  
  
"Why are we fighting?" she questioned. "Why are we wasting your sister's handy work?" She smiled her brilliant smile. It was a smile that could stop Jason in his tracks.  
  
"I...."  
  
"I know," Elizabeth said. "I know what you are going to say, and don't. I know the risks. You know the risks, but tonight can we just forget them and pretend?" Elizabeth leaned in and parted Jason's lips with her tongue as it explored a mouth she had grown to know so well in a short time.  
  
"I guess I will have to thank Emily for her little white lie," Jason said in a breathless tone when they finally parted.  
  
"Lie?"  
  
"Yeah, she fed me some story about the orchids for the wedding being ruined and well, it doesn't really matter now. Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" he asked putting his own fears aside as he let himself get lost in the bluesy sound of the saxophone and the sensation of Elizabeth's body against his.  
  
A pair of peering eyes watched from a corner table as Jason and Elizabeth danced circles around the others in the club. The man looked on as the pair enacted their own game of foreplay on the dance floor. He felt his own manhood stand erect as he stared at Jason and Elizabeth bumping and grinding to the rhythmic beat of the music that filled Blue Chicago. Before he lost all sense of control over himself, the man with the haggard face pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket. "I wonder if the boss knows about this?" he said to himself as he dialed.  
  
The persistent ringing coming from the pair of trousers that lay disheveled on the floor beckoned to Anthony. He rolled over and hung his body half off the bed while his lady of the day teased his erect form. "THIS BETTER BE FUCKING GOOD!!!" Anthony's angry voice spat.  
  
"I think you might be interested in what a certain someone is up to," Ralphie answered calmly while he continued to watch Jason and Elizabeth heat up the dance floor.  
  
Anthony shot straight up in bed, almost pushing the young blonde to the floor. "Reggie's a dead man!" Anthony raged at the thought of being crossed by one of his most trusted men. "I knew that dumb fuck would head straight for the Morgans!"  
  
"It's not Reggie who you need to be worried about." Ralphie couldn't help but come off as sounding a bit cocky. It was hard not to when Anthony's wife stood before him kissing Jason Morgan of all people.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Anthony stood up searching for his clothes as he waited for Ralphie to continue.  
  
"What I'm saying is I think it's time you look a little closer to home."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"When it comes to Jason Morgan, Reggie, well – he ain't your problem."  
  
"Then who the hell is?!" Anthony's tone was a harsh whisper. He knew the answer to his question without even having to hear it.  
  
"Why don't you meet me at Blue Chicago and see for yourself?" Ralphie didn't want to be the one to tell his boss that his wife was fraternizing with the enemy.  
  
"Why don't you just tell me what I need to know?" Anthony's fuse was growing shorter by the minute. Ralphie's silence only served to anger him all the more. "If you aren't tailing Reggie, then who the fuck are you talking about?" Anthony needed to hear the words. He needed to hear that Elizabeth had actually thought that she was pulling the wool over his eyes when it came to her desire to be with Jason Morgan.  
  
"Boss – no disrespect man, but your wife – she's ..."  
  
"The one with Jason Morgan, isn't she?" Anthony asked before his underling was able to finish.  
  
"Yes," the other man concurred.  
  
"That little bitch," Anthony said under his breath.  
  
"You want me to keep an eye on them?"  
  
"No, I will handle this personally!" Anthony's voice dripped with venom. The tiny cell phone went careening across the posh hotel suite before Ralphie had even known the conversation was over. Anthony, at the moment, was seeing red. "Well, Elizabeth, everything in this life comes at a price, and you are just about to find out how high yours is."  
  
"Tony, baby, where are you going?" The buxom blonde cooed as Anthony headed for the door. "We weren't finished." She let her hand caress his manly form through the thin fabric of his dress pants. Even the thought of some good sex wasn't enough to erase the rage Anthony felt. The only thing that loomed large in his mind was making Elizabeth pay for her stupidity.  
  
"ENOUGH!!" Anthony bellowed, throwing the young girl to the floor. She sat wide-eyed as he paced around the room and attempted to collect his thoughts enough to form a plan.  
  
"Well what did the manager say?" Jason asked Elizabeth as she joined him at their table.  
  
"Looks like it's a go."  
  
"And the money? Can the hospital budget handle it?" Jason's eyes questioned as he spoke.  
  
"Most of it," Elizabeth lied, not wanting to revisit their earlier argument.  
  
"Most of it?" he echoed. "Does that mean you do or don't need to ask Anthony for the money?"  
  
"Jason....." The cell phone ringing inside her handbag stopped Elizabeth from continuing. "I really need to get that. I told Helena she could reach me if Rocco needed anything. He hasn't been doing very well these past few days. Hello Helena, is everything all right with Rocco?" she asked before letting the person on the other end of the phone speak.  
  
"Well, if your were home instead of out dancing the night away you might know the answer to that question yourself, my dear!" Anthony's voice cut through her like a knife.  
  
"Is everything all right with Rocco?" Elizabeth asked again trying to keep her voice even.  
  
"I wouldn't know any more than you. Seems we both are quite busy at the moment," Anthony said with a steely tone.  
  
"I am glad to hear he's resting comfortably." Elizabeth stole a quick sideways glance at Jason as she continued on with the original pretense of the phone call. "Is there something else that you needed me for?"  
  
"You better wise up, my dear wife!" Anthony said with a hoarse whisper.  
  
"Oh really?" Elizabeth felt her body shudder. She was glad that she wasn't able to see her husband's face, yet her mind was able to conjure up the image of his cold, calculating eyes boring holes through her body.  
  
"You're not as smart as you think you are!"  
  
With those words, the line that connected Anthony and Elizabeth went dead. Suddenly Elizabeth felt as if she was in a vacuum. Her chest tightened with anxiety. Without even saying it, she knew that Anthony knew where she was and whom she was with. That fear engulfed her so much so that she couldn't move or speak. She was completely frozen.  
  
"Elizabeth?" Jason touched her arm softly. "Is everything all right? Is Rocco okay?" It wasn't hard for Jason to see the total change in her demeanor.  
  
"Yes – yes he's fine." She attempted to appear normal, but that was a difficult task at best as Anthony's words circled her mind.  
  
"Then what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing – nothing's wrong." Elizabeth gave him a half smile.  
  
"That call wasn't from home was it?" Jason questioned his own fears beginning to heighten.  
  
"Of course it was." Elizabeth tried to sound convincing.  
  
"I don't believe you. Who were you talking to?"  
  
"No one important."  
  
"Elizabeth." Jason persisted not believing her in the least bit.  
  
"If you must know, it was my father." She attempted a quick save. She couldn't tell Jason the truth. She couldn't let him know that his greatest fear had just been well founded. She couldn't tell him that she thought that Anthony knew about them.  
  
"What did your father want at this hour of the night?" Jason gave her a skeptical glance. He could see for himself how shaken she was by the phone call. It resembled the same look that she had worn the night she had shown up at the Drake Hotel. Anthony had been the cause of her fear that evening and Jason was more than certain he had been tonight as well.  
  
"He's worried about the benefit."  
  
"Worried how? You and Emily seem to have it under control."  
  
"He's expecting this event to springboard his senatorial campaign." Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the mere thoughts of her father being Anthony's puppet. "He's just a little nervous. Would you mind getting me another drink?" she asked, hoping to change the subject and a stiff drink would calm her frayed nerves.  
  
"Would you mind telling me the truth?" Jason countered looking Elizabeth directly in the eye.  
  
"There's nothing more to tell. My father is a bit on edge about all of this. There's nothing more to it than that." Elizabeth heard her voice quiver.  
  
"I don't buy it! That phone call wasn't from your father. It was from Anthony, wasn't it?" Jason felt the knot in his stomach tighten.  
  
"NO!!" Elizabeth exclaimed.  
  
"I don't believe you, Elizabeth. Look at you. You're about ready to jump out of your skin."  
  
"I'm fine Jason. I think you are seeing things that aren't there." Elizabeth leaned in to kiss him, but he moved away before she was able to make contact with his lips. "I don't want to fight with you!" she cried.  
  
Jason was too busy scanning the room to even hear her. His eyes came to rest on a single man sitting in the far corner of the room. Why hadn't he noticed the man earlier? Jason scolded himself. He couldn't place him, but in his gut he knew that the guy was one of the Malucci soldiers. Jason felt the bile rise from his stomach into his throat. The man sitting in the shadows had just made him and Elizabeth. No matter how much Elizabeth denied it, Jason knew that that phone call was from Anthony.  
  
"LET'S GO!!" Jason growled pulling Elizabeth by the arm.  
  
"Jason???"  
  
"LET'S GO!" he bellowed again.  
  
Elizabeth followed along behind Jason not by choice but more by order. He wound his way through the streets of Chicago until Elizabeth herself was confused as to where they were. "STOP!!" she finally yelled and pulled her arm from Jason's hold. "What the hell are we doing Jason?"  
  
"We're walking."  
  
"Very funny. Where are we walking to? Better yet, why are we walking?"  
  
"You ask too many questions." Jason's head was swimming. All the anxieties and fears about what could happen to Elizabeth if Anthony was ever to catch wind of their affair bombarded him. As of tonight this relationship was over. He couldn't take the chance that Elizabeth would be harmed in any way, yet the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that even if he broke off this affair, Elizabeth could very well still be in danger. "Follow me," Jason instructed as he opened a dimly lit doorway in the alley they were standing in.  
  
Elizabeth traced Jason's steps with her own as they made their way down a long corridor. On the other side of the wall she could hear the clanging of pots, pans and muffled voices. "Where are we?" she questioned.  
  
"You will see soon enough."  
  
They stopped at a single elevator when the long hallway came to an end. Jason pressed the button and waited. Upon the car's arrival he ushered her inside quickly as he selected the only available button. It contained no visible markings, giving Elizabeth no indication where they were headed. She only knew they were going up. The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open to reveal Jason's penthouse. The very same penthouse that he had taken her not so long ago. "How?" she asked unable to say much more than that.  
  
"Let's just say it's for quick getaways and leave it at that." Jason walked to the bar and poured himself a double scotch. He knew that he would need its effects if he was to find the courage to let the beautiful creature he found in Elizabeth go.  
  
"Would you mind?" Elizabeth asked picking up the bottle herself. Jason nodded his approval.  
  
"Elizabeth we need to talk." Jason moved away from her. He needed the distance to keep a clear head.  
  
"About?" she questioned not liking the tone his voice carried.  
  
"Anthony."  
  
"Why?" She almost cried.  
  
"Because I know damn well he was the one who called you tonight."  
  
"I swear he wasn't!" Elizabeth could feel what was coming next before Jason even spoke the words. She wasn't about to let this happen. She wasn't going to let Anthony steal one more thing from her.  
  
"Now who's the bad liar?" Jason mocked.  
  
"What if he was the one who called? That doesn't mean he knows anything!" Elizabeth heard how desperate she sounded.  
  
"You don't believe that anymore than I do." Jason's mind still held a clear picture of Anthony's man sitting in the corner watching them. He had seen things that Jason had been foolish enough to think he could get away with in public. Jason had let Elizabeth talk him into playing make believe that evening, and now she would be the one to pay the price for it. "Besides, I was a fool to think that we could do this."  
  
"WE CAN!" Elizabeth turned to him with tears pooling in her cerulean eyes.  
  
"NO WE CAN'T!!" he countered forcefully. "This ends tonight."  
  
"NO – NO!!" Elizabeth slammed her half-empty glass of scotch on the bar.  
  
"YES! It has to. Elizabeth, Anthony is having you followed. Don't you get what that means? You are in danger."  
  
"I don't care." Her voice was barely audible.  
  
"I do!"  
  
"Why? Why do you care? It's my life and my risks."  
  
"That's not true, and you know it."  
  
"I love you Jason!" Tears were now streaming down Elizabeth's face.  
  
Those words almost strangled Jason's heart. The contorted cries that filled her face ripped through his soul. "This has to end." Jason stood firm in his conviction while he tried to hide his own tears. He couldn't let Elizabeth grab hold of his feelings. If that happened, they would be right back where they started.  
  
"NO!!"  
  
"Elizabeth, you are treading on thin ice and you don't even realize that you are about to fall through!" Jason said exasperated at her wanting to take such a chance with her life.  
  
"I don't care!"  
  
"DAMN IT, I DO!!" Jason yelled closing the gap between them as he came to shake some sense into her. "I couldn't live with myself if harm came to you because of me!"  
  
"Then why are you walking away?" she questioned like a small child fearful of letting go of their mommy's hand on the first day of kindergarten.  
  
"Because I have to."  
  
"No you don't!"  
  
"Elizabeth, baby, I do. I know you don't want to see it, but I do. Anthony already knows. Things will only get worse from here," Jason cried in anguish.  
  
"Damn you Jason Morgan – damn you!!" Elizabeth yelled as she picked up a glass from the bar and sent it flying to the floor. It crashed into a thousand pieces. Without warning a torrent of tears followed as Elizabeth dropped to her knees. She felt as shattered as the glass that lay all around her. Jason stood helpless. He knew that if he went to her it would give her a mixed signal, but his heart wouldn't let him stand by and do nothing. A force outside of himself propelled Jason forward. He picked her up in his arms and cradled her body against his.  
  
"I don't want to let you go – really I don't," he cried.  
  
"Then don't." Elizabeth brought her mouth to his. At first the kisses were light as a feather but they quickly deepened into passionate ones. While his head told him to push her away, Jason played a willing participant in the action. He carried her over to the supple black leather sofa and laid her there. He missed her warmth the instant she was no longer next to him. Elizabeth toyed with the stiff collar of his chambray shirt letting her fingers gently play with his neck.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason whispered in protest.  
  
"Shhhh...." She placed her finger on his lips. Pulling herself to a sitting position, Elizabeth carefully undid the buttons and slid the velvety fabric off his shoulders. He tried to hold back the shivers that filled him as he felt Elizabeth's gentle touch grazing his skin. She dropped the shirt to the ground. Effortlessly she rubbed her hands along Jason's smooth sculptured chest. He held his breath as her fingertips played at the waistband of his black denim jeans. Elizabeth pushed Jason back against the cool leather of the sofa as she lifted her dress above her hips. In doing so she revealed to Jason her black lace panties and garter. His breathing quickened as she brought her body against his, her tongue tracing the tuft of hair leading to what she desired most.  
  
Without much thought on his part, Jason lifted Elizabeth's tiny black dress over her head and unfastened her bra. Her perky breasts fell forward. Next to be removed were the garter and panties. There she sat naked before him. Jason sat up a little, resting his back against the arm of the sofa. This in turn placed Elizabeth's most feminine spot directly over his bulging manhood that was begging for release. Jason brought his hands to Elizabeth's chest and cupped her breasts. She let out a soft moan as his fingers kneaded each of her nipples. She felt the electricity racing through her body. Jason moved his hands slowly. He could feel that she was moist with anticipation. He teased her gently with his fingers to the point that Elizabeth thought she would explode at any second, yet he wouldn't offer her release. Jason enjoyed watching the pleasure that filled her face. He relished the idea that he was the cause of it.  
  
Reaching for the hand that still held her breast, Elizabeth began suckling each of Jason's fingers. Methodically, she let her tongue circle each digit until Jason too was seeing stars. Finally when neither of them could take much more, Jason's jeans found their way to the floor among the other articles of clothing that lay there. Elizabeth eased herself onto Jason slowly at first as he brought his hands to her backside. His mere touch sent skyrockets through her body. Their pace steadily quickened until their bodies were one. Exhausted, Elizabeth laid her head against Jason's chest and listened as his pounding heart returned to a normal beat.  
  
"I love you," Jason whispered before even realizing those three tiny words escaped his lips. Jason Morgan wasn't a man that fell into the trappings of love. In all of his dating years, Jason couldn't recall ever uttering those three words that held such great power, to anyone. Yet with Elizabeth, he had wanted to shout them from the rooftops time and time again. Jason gazed at her lovingly and knew he couldn't continue to deny what his heart was screaming, but he still had to find a way to protect her through the war the he knew loomed on the horizon.  
  
"I love you too, Jason."  
  
Joseph and Cassandra milled through the many people crowding the lobby of the Stage Right Dinner Theater. The giddy, comedic play had given Joseph a short reprieve from his troubles, but now that had come to an end.  
  
"Why don't we go for a nightcap?" Cassandra asked as she linked her arms with her husband.  
  
"That would be nice," he said. Joseph was in no hurry to return home and face Jason's hard stares or arguments about Anthony Malucci.  
  
Joseph and Cassandra joined the others who were standing on the corner waiting for the walk signal to sound. Finally, the high pitched sound permeated the air. Then, from out of nowhere, a black sedan came speeding through the intersection and nearly struck Cassandra head on. 


	28. Chapter 27

Joseph stood frozen as the world around him played out in some sort of bizarre suspended animation. He could see the speeding sedan barreling toward Cassandra as he watched her about to step off the curb. The shrill sound of the pedestrian signal blared overhead, and Joseph felt as though he was in the midst of a "B" rated movie. However, somewhere between his trance-like state and reality, Joseph pulled his wife out of the speeding car's path. They both landed hard on the cement sidewalk among gasps from all those standing around them. "Cassandra?!" Joseph's voice held a note of panic as he gathered his wife in his arms. "Cassandra," he repeated as he gently touched her face.  
  
"Joseph?" her voice questioned as her eyes began to flutter.  
  
"Thank god," he sighed with relief. "Do you think you can stand?"  
  
"What happened?" Cassandra asked as she looked up at all those who were peering down at her.  
  
"You were almost run down," a bystander offered.  
  
"What?" She sounded confused.  
  
"Here, let me help you." The man who had just given an explanation of what happened brought forth his hand to assist Joseph in lifting Cassandra from the ground.  
  
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Joseph returned. "I can take of my wife. Thank you again."  
  
With the excitement over, the crowd around them finally dispersed. "Are you sure you can walk?" Joseph questioned placing his arm around Cassandra.  
  
"Yes." She smiled and gently caressed her husband's concerned face. "I am fine."  
  
Instinctively, Joseph took Cassandra in his arms. He was thankful that she had been unharmed. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.  
  
"I love you as well."  
  
Jason looked across the room at the ornate clock perched on the bar. It read half past two in the morning. He let his eyes rest on Elizabeth's sleeping form next to him. Guilt consumed him instantly. The earlier events of the evening weren't what he had planned when he secretly brought Elizabeth to his penthouse again. All Jason's good intentions had been washed away by her pleas and tears. Jason lightly pushed a few stray strands of hair from her face. He couldn't stop the smile that filled his features. How he had wished that he could truly enjoy the rapture that he felt when he was with Elizabeth. How Jason longed for those feelings not to be clouded by the ever-present danger that lurked around every corner. "Elizabeth," Jason softly shook his sleeping beauty. As much as he wanted to spend the night with her in his arms, that wasn't how it was to be. The image of Anthony's spy was burned into Jason's memory. By now, he was certain that the man had reported all he had seen to Anthony. Jason wasn't about to keep Elizabeth out all night and give the maniac he knew Anthony to be any more ammunition that could be used against her.  
  
"Huhmmmmmm," she sighed as she moved closer against Jason's warm body.  
  
"Elizabeth, baby, you have to wake up. You have to go."  
  
The word "go" caught her full attention. She sat up quickly, almost as if an ice-cold bucket of water had been thrown on her. "What do you mean I have to go?" Elizabeth didn't disguise her anger. She thought they were right back where they had begun hours ago.  
  
"You can't stay here," Jason remarked.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Anthony, that's why!"  
  
"Oh Jason," Elizabeth cried. "Can we not do this again?"  
  
"We aren't," he countered in a confused tone.  
  
"That's not what it sounds like to me."  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason rubbed the back of his hand against her soft skin. "I'm not sending you away like you think I am but with what happened earlier at Blue Chicago, I can't let you stay here."  
  
"What happened?" Elizabeth asked with bewildered eyes.  
  
"One of Anthony's men was at the club tonight."  
  
"WHAT?!" Elizabeth wanted to hide her panic but couldn't.  
  
"That's why I pulled you out of there. You have to go home tonight."  
  
"Jason....." Elizabeth reached for him. Those words mixed with Anthony's cryptic phone call had her on edge.  
  
"Easy," he said as she fell into his open arms as her tears got the better of her. "You just go home....."  
  
"But...."  
  
"Shhhh," Jason said placing his finger to her lips. "You go home and pretend like nothing out of the ordinary happened tonight. If Anthony even mentions my name, you tell him you thought you were meeting Emily. That isn't a lie. You tell him that I took her place since there was a mix-up with the flowers for her wedding."  
  
"Jason....." Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if this would really work. Anthony's words of her not being as smart as she thought she was played over and over again in her head.  
  
"Don't be afraid," Jason said pulling her closer to him. "I promise you that I will take care of Anthony."  
  
"But..." The idea of Jason taking care of her husband frightened her as much as her having to face Anthony did. Elizabeth knew just how much he hated Jason. She could only imagine what lay in store for her husband's enemy as well as herself.  
  
"No buts. You go home and play your part, Elizabeth. Do exactly as I have told you. I will make sure that our story is iron clad." Jason smiled a not so convincing smile and kissed her forehead.  
  
After Elizabeth had left Jason paced the rooms of his penthouse. He tried to clear his thoughts so that he would be able to construct a plan of action. Jason knew it was a vain attempt at best after the scenes Anthony's man had been able to witness that evening but Jason still needed to provide Elizabeth with a bit of a buffer against her husband. Jason knew if he did things in the manner he was thinking about, Rocco Malucci would be privy to a scaled down version of events at the club. That would be enough to keep Anthony from striking, at least for a little while longer.  
  
Jason looked at the large bed in his room then back at the leather sofa as he contemplated where to spend the night. It didn't take much thought on his part. The sofa was the obvious destination. Jason pulled a thin throw over his body as images of Elizabeth danced before the dark canvas of his closed eyes.  
  
After a less than restful night's sleep Jason stood at the corner waiting for the taxi that Ronald had summonsed to take him back to where his Porsche sat near Blue Chicago. He toyed with the cell phone in his hand, wanting so much to call and check on Elizabeth. He couldn't shake the feeling of doom that consumed him. Wild thoughts paraded around in Jason's mind. What if his plan to cover his and Elizabeth's tracks the previous evening didn't work? What if Anthony had been sitting up waiting for Elizabeth to return home that night? What if?? Jason's mind was full of so many questions beginning with those two words. He slid into the back of the taxi and let out a labored sigh. Not only did he have Anthony to be concerned with, but also Jason imagined that by now his father had gotten wise to Emily's scheme. That meant yet another confrontation with his father. All Jason could do was shake his head as he watched the city streets pass before his eyes.  
  
Elizabeth's BMW climbed the long drive toward the Malucci mansion. She held her breath and hoped and prayed that, for once, Anthony was out with one of his many goomahs. Elizabeth felt her heart sink when Anthony's Jaguar came into her line of sight. Luck really wasn't on her side that night.  
  
She took a deep breath as she turned the knob on the door leading to the room she shared with Anthony. Her eyes were drawn to his sleeping form. Elizabeth navigated the dark room in silence, not wanting to do anything that might wake Anthony in the process. With a quick change of clothes, she slipped between the cool crisp sheets and settled in for a not so good night sleep.  
  
Elizabeth rolled over as the morning sunlight beckoned her eyes to open. She wasn't quick to relinquish her dreams of the life she wanted with Jason for the reality that was her life. She stretched her arms and finally let the bright light of day engulf her. A quick glance sideways showed that Anthony was no longer sleeping beside her, a fact that immediately filled Elizabeth with relief. She hadn't wanted to face her husband any more now than she had the previous night when she slipped quietly into bed with him.  
  
She pulled her cream colored silk robe over her shoulders as she absently paced the room. So many images and thoughts bombarded her, but Jason's admission of his love for her was the only thing that she wanted to concentrate on. Those were the only words she wanted to recall from last night. She hadn't wanted to remember the sadistic way Anthony's voice had cut through the background noise at Blue Chicago, nor did she want to think about Jason's statement that Vincent was having her followed. If she was to let her mind focus on those realities, Elizabeth knew that the rapture she had felt upon hearing Jason say those three small words would have gotten lost in a sea of terror. She wasn't about to let that happen. Elizabeth wanted to bask in the glory for a little while longer.  
  
Stepping out of the shower Elizabeth wrapped the large white towel around her damp hair before she turned the knob of the door that separated the master bathroom from the bedroom. It was at that same moment that she heard the sound of Anthony's voice. Quietly she eased the door closed, leaving it ajar just enough that she was able to hear what he was saying. It only took a minute for Elizabeth to wish she hadn't.  
  
"I want to see you this morning." She heard Anthony order. "We have a little unfinished business from last night." Elizabeth wondered if he was talking to the man that Jason had seen spying on her at Blue Chicago. "Yeah ... black lace, red lace... makes no difference to me," Anthony said offhandedly.  
  
Those words were all Elizabeth needed to hear to know that this conversation had nothing whatsoever to do with her or Jason Morgan for that matter. Elizabeth shut the door all the way now. She had no desire to listen to her husband making plans with another woman. She swallowed hard against the lump that was now sitting at the back of her throat. No matter where she was in her life now, that didn't stop the hurt that stabbed at her heart knowing that Anthony had so little regard for their union. It was almost like she had been thrown back in time to the very first night that she came to realize that she wasn't the only woman in her husband's life. The memory of that event still stung her heart.  
  
... ... It had been the night of Elizabeth's birthday. She had been cleaning out the pockets of one of Anthony's suits that needed to be taken to the cleaners. In doing so, she came across a receipt from H. Horowitz Jewelry Company. The little girl in Elizabeth got the better of her and she unfolded the tiny piece of paper, curious as to what gift her husband was going to give her that evening. Elizabeth had felt the tears well up in her eyes as she read the description of a tennis bracelet that she had mentioned liking to Anthony. They had only had that conversation a day or so before her birthday and Elizabeth was elated to find the receipt. She hugged Anthony's suit jacket as if it had been him standing there before her. It was then that she took notice of the dinner reservation that Anthony had scribbled on the opposite side of the scrap of paper. It was a seven thirty table reservation at a new Italian bistro across town. Elizabeth thought that she and Anthony were going to celebrate her twenty- first birthday in style, yet that wasn't how it played out at all.  
  
Anthony had never bothered to come home that evening. She tried the office several times, but no one knew anything about his whereabouts. Elizabeth had a sick feeling in her stomach that night. At first she had been truly worried that something might have happened to her husband. Without thinking, she had gotten in her car and traveled the streets of Chicago to look for Anthony. Elizabeth finally ended up across town at the restaurant where she thought she and Anthony were to have dinner that evening... ...  
  
Elizabeth wiped the tears that now fell on her cheeks, tears that never came that fateful night.  
  
... ... She watched Anthony place the diamond studded tennis bracelet, the one that she had assumed was hers, on another woman's arm. From then on, Elizabeth had come to understand that she had been sold to the highest bidder and nothing more... ...  
  
She tried to shake off that memory as she stood with her back against the door and wondered why she was crying. This wasn't something that should have surprised her, but there were still times when it hurt like hell.  
  
She waited until she heard the heavy thud of the outer door of the bedroom as it closed before she made her way into her dressing area. Elizabeth had planned on talking to Anthony so that she could address the issue of needing money for the benefit, but now she was seriously considering Jason's suggestion of speaking with Rocco instead. She found it odd that Anthony had yet to say anything to her about last night or question her on her whereabouts in his usual attempt at tripping her up or catching her in a lie. It all gave her an eerie feeling, a feeling as though she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.  
  
Elizabeth dressed quickly and made her way to the dining room. She was sure that breakfast was just about to be served.  
  
"Good morning," Rocco smiled at her as she took a cup filled with coffee from the sideboard.  
  
"Good morning," she replied with her own smile. Hesitantly, Elizabeth took her seat next to Anthony who hadn't picked his head up from the morning paper to so much as glance at her. She found his silence was a bit unnerving to her.  
  
"So, Elizabeth dear, how was your evening?" Rocco asked as Helena placed a platter in front of him.  
  
"Very nice, thank you," Elizabeth answered keeping her eyes focused on her own plate. There was still no movement from the man next to her. It was almost as if he hadn't even been in the room.  
  
"How was the band? Were they all you expected?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes, they were exceptional." Elizabeth took a long sip of coffee.  
  
"Then there will be a blues band playing for the benefit?" Rocco teased.  
  
"I hope so," Elizabeth paused, looking for an opening to discuss the fact that she needed Malucci Manufacturing to pick up the remaining expense of the band.  
  
"Is there a problem?" Rocco eyed his daughter in law curiously.  
  
"Possibly," she hesitated.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Elizabeth couldn't stop herself from turning to stare at Anthony, who through this entire exchange had never once lifted his eyes from the newspaper in his hands.  
  
"Elizabeth?" Rocco questioned again.  
  
"Well according to Dr. Harner, we are nearing the hospital's budget limit for this event. I am afraid that we are lacking the money that we need to cover the entertainment. I know that Malucci Manufacturing has done so much already," she paused, 'but do you think it would be possible for the company to ... ..."  
  
"NO," Anthony said before Elizabeth was able to finish her question to Rocco.  
  
"Excuse me?" Rocco directed his comment to his son. "I do believe that your wife was speaking to me."  
  
"Malucci Manufacturing isn't sinking another dime into this benefit," Anthony countered with a sneer.  
  
"WHAT!?" Rocco's voice grew louder.  
  
"You heard me......"  
  
"The band is already booked," Elizabeth gasped. "We can't back out now!"  
  
"You should have thought about your lack of money before you made the commitment."  
  
Elizabeth stared at Anthony with disbelief in her eyes. Here he sat cool, calm and collected. He was nothing like the man she knew him to be.  
  
"Elizabeth not to worry. I will be sure that the arrangements are made for the band to be compensated for their time," Rocco said in total disregard of what Anthony wanted.  
  
"Like hell you will!" Anthony's voice rose to the caliber that Elizabeth had grown accustomed to.  
  
Without thinking, the words fell out of her mouth, "Fine then!" she spat. "If you aren't going to help me, well, then I will just have to take Jason up on his offer and have Morgan Enterprises pay for the band."  
  
Anthony's hands tightened around the thin newspaper as he tried to remain composed. "Jason Morgan, huh?" Anthony shot daggers in the direction of his wife. "Just what does Jason Morgan have to do with this?"  
  
Elizabeth could hear her heart beating in her ears as her hands began to sweat. The explanation that Jason had instructed her to give totally escaped her at the moment.  
  
"I would imagine that Jason Morgan has a great deal to do with this benefit considering that his family, like us, is a major benefactor in the event." Rocco offered the explanation that Elizabeth was unable to grasp.  
  
"I would rather hear from my wife!" Anthony said through clenched teeth. Ralphie's words of Jason and Elizabeth in a compromising situation haunted him.  
  
"Jason – he well, he met me at Blue Chicago....."  
  
"I thought you were meeting Emily?" Rocco interrupted.  
  
"I was." Elizabeth stuttered as she felt all eyes in the room come to rest upon her.  
  
"I think I am a little confused," Rocco stated.  
  
Elizabeth looked at her father in law and wanted to cry. The last thing she wanted to do was lie to him, even if it was only a half lie. Rocco's urging her to find happiness where she could rang in Elizabeth's ears, yet the look on his face told her that Jason Morgan wasn't the happiness Rocco had intended for her to find. "There was a mix up with Emily's floral arrangements for her wedding. She and Zander had to go do damage control of some sort." Elizabeth's voice shook and took on a rapid response as she tried to remember the lie that Jason had told her to say.  
  
"That still doesn't explain how Jason ended up with you." Anthony placed his emphasis on the word you.  
  
"Apparently, Emily asked him to take her place. I was to meet her at the club. She must not have wanted me to be unescorted."  
  
"That was very nice of her," Anthony retorted sarcasm dripping from each word.  
  
"So, Jason offered to take care of the expense of the band?" Rocco inquired.  
  
"Yes he did, but I declined ... ..."  
  
"WHY?!" Anthony bellowed.  
  
"I assumed you had had enough of the Morgan generosity," Elizabeth shot back at her husband.  
  
"Don't do me any favors... ..."  
  
"Excuse me," Helena said as she entered the room. "Mrs. Malucci, Ms. Emily Morgan is on the phone. She wanted to apologize for last night's mix up. I told her that the family was sitting down to breakfast... ..."  
  
"That's fine Helena, I will be right there." Elizabeth got up from the table with a triumphant smile on her face. Jason had said that he would take care of things, and it looked as though he had done just that. 


	29. Chapter 28

Jason handed the cab driver his fare as he turned to stare at his parked car. The thought of climbing behind the wheel and heading home wasn't something that appealed to him very much. Having to face Joseph for another barrage of questions or rather acquisitions didn't rank high on Jason's list of things to do that morning. So, rather than having to confront his father Jason crossed the busy street and made his way to the **Rainforest Caf**.  
  
His eyes traveled the menu that the pretty young hostess handed him. Food was the last thing on Jason's mind but the diversion would prolong the inevitable confrontation he was trying to avoid. Absently, he gave his order to a waitress who was trying mercilessly to flirt with him. However, Jason's mind was too occupied with thoughts of Elizabeth and Anthony to even notice. As he sat there among the people that crowded the room, Jason longed to be anyone but who he was. The tables surrounding him were filled with young executives, college students and visitors to the city of Chicago. Jason's gaze was fixated on the young couple to the rear of the room. He wondered if that's what he and Elizabeth had looked like the night before. Had they appeared so oblivious to all that was going on around them? That must have been the case. Jason cursed himself again for letting himself and Elizabeth be made my Anthony's goon. No matter how hard Jason tried he couldn't remove his eyes from the young lovers. It was almost as though they mesmerized him. Jason watched the way they touched one another, how they kissed each other playfully without a care in the world. He wanted that desperately for Elizabeth and himself. He longed to be able to openly show her how much he loved her. He wanted to take carriage rides in the park with her, wanted to take her dancing or to a movie. Jason wanted to be able to do something as simple as walk down the street hand in hand with her.  
  
Frustrated Jason brought his hand to message the knots that had taken up residence in the back of his neck. At that very moment, Jason craved the normal life that surrounded him. He yearned to be able to fade into the background of the world as the others in this room did. Jason wanted he and Elizabeth to be just an ordinary couple leading an ordinary life. Unfortunately the text book definition of ordinary fit neither the Morgan nor the Malucci family. While Jason's head knew that the things he wished for would never be possible, his heart still entertained the fantasy. A fantasy that was full of romantic endeavors with Elizabeth not just the stolen encounters that they had had up until now. She deserved so much more than this impossible situation was able to give her. They both did.  
  
Jason took a long drink from his water glass and wondered why was it that he always came back to the same argument over and over again. Even when danger stared them square in the face he hadn't been able to walk away. Elizabeth had a pull so hard on him that it rivaled the moon's effect on the tides. All Jason could do was assess the damage last night had caused Elizabeth and do his best to insulate her from Anthony. It was that thought that forced Jason to shudder. Anthony was unpredictable and for that reason alone Jason knew that keeping Elizabeth safe would be a difficult task to say the least.  
  
Jason tossed two twenty-dollar bills on the table and left the café before the food he ordered ever arrived. While sitting there helped him avoid his father, it wasn't doing anything for providing Elizabeth with the alibi Jason had promised her.  
  
Quietly Jason slipped his key into the lock of the massive entry door to the Morgan home. He steeled himself for what he was sure would be a mammoth argument with his father. Jason was shocked not to find Joseph pacing the floor awaiting his son's arrival. He was instantly relieved. That relief vanished the second Jason heard his parents' voices drifting from the study.  
  
"Cassandra, I would feel so much better if you would just go see Dr. Johnjulio."  
  
"I am fine. There is no need for such nonsense," she countered.  
  
"It's far from nonsense," Joseph retorted as the images of his wife almost being run down were still fresh in his mind.  
  
"Please, can we not make more out of it than we need to?"  
  
"I don't think wanting my wife to be seen by our family physician after almost being hit by a car is making too much out of things!" Joseph strained to remain calm.  
  
Those last words readily caught Jason's attention as did the panic he heard in his father's tone serving to only heighten his own anxieties. He felt his grip on the doorjamb tighten as he continued to listen to the exchange going on behind the partially closed door.  
  
"Joseph," Cassandra took her husband's hand gently in hers. "I am fine, really," she stressed.  
  
"Look what I did to you." Joseph lifted her arm to showcase a large purple bruise on her forearm.  
  
"You saved me," Cassandra countered as she attempted to alleviate the anguish she could hear in her husband's voice.  
  
"I couldn't imagine anything happening to you... ..." Joseph pulled her against his chest.  
  
Jason swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. While he knew very little about what actually happened it wasn't hard for him to understand that whatever it was had his father noticeably shaken. Jason pushed aside his own concerns about facing Joseph and entered the room. "Papa, I wanted to – oh I thought you were alone," Jason lied.  
  
"What is it Jason?" Joseph asked as he wiped away any traces of his tears.  
  
"Good morning, Mama," Jason kissed his mother as he ignored his father's question.  
  
"How was your evening?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"I could ask you the same. Did you enjoy the play?" Jason felt it odd that they were standing around making idle small talk after what he had just heard in secret.  
  
"Yes, we enjoyed the play very much. Didn't we Joseph?" Cassandra turned to her husband.  
  
"Yes – yes," he answered offhandedly.  
  
"Mama, your arm," Jason stated when Cassandra turned giving him full view of the large bruise inflicted by Joseph's hand. "What happened?" Jason gently touched the black and blue mark.  
  
"Some idiot ran a red light and nearly killed your mother!" Joseph nearly spat.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think your father over aggregates."  
  
"Hardly! If I hadn't pulled you out of the way who knows what would have happened. That's why I feel that you should have Dr. Johnjulio look you over... ..."  
  
"Joseph," Cassandra interrupted, "How many times do I need to tell you that I am fine?"  
  
"I think Papa is right," Jason interjected. "We would all feel better knowing that you are all right."  
  
"Stop this, both of you. It was just a freak accident with no real harm done. I refuse to let you both baby me. It's only a bruise for heaven sakes!" Cassandra smiled as she leaned in to kiss both of them.  
  
"But." Joseph began to speak again.  
  
"Sshhh," she silenced him. "Not another word do you hear me? I have a wedding to finish planning. With that in mind, I need to speak with Emily about this whole orchid confusion."  
  
"I actually need to talk to Emily myself," Jason said to his mother. "Why don't you enjoy breakfast with Papa first? Once I finish filling Emily in on the arrangements I ironed out last night for the blues band I will send her in to talk to you."  
  
Now more than ever Jason needed to enact his plan. He had serious doubts that this was just the accident that his mother believed it to be. It reeked of Anthony Malucci. That idea heightened Jason's fears of what Anthony would have in store for Elizabeth. Jason found his sister sitting by the pool enjoying the beginnings of the morning sun. "We need to talk," Jason said as he came up behind her.  
  
"About?" Emily countered shading her eyes to the sun and trying to hide the smile that threatened to take over her face.  
  
"Well, first might I suggest that you come up with a hell of a lie to Mama. She thinks that she needs to do damage control with the florist. You and I both know that that's not the case." Jason stared at her sternly.  
  
"How was the band?" Emily asked artfully ignoring Jason's remarks.  
  
"Emily!" Jason countered frustrated.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"The band was fine."  
  
"That's not what I mean and you know it!"  
  
"Exactly what are you fishing for little sister?"  
  
"Did you enjoy your date with Elizabeth?" Emily asked point blank.  
  
"You shouldn't have done that," Jason stressed.  
  
"Why? Wasn't Elizabeth glad to see you?" Emily sat up and turned to face her brother.  
  
"That's not the point."  
  
"She was happy then?" Emily pressed.  
  
Jason toyed with how to answer that question. Elizabeth had been elated to see him as he had been at finding her sitting at the table reserved for him. While Jason was sure that Emily knew more of what was going on between he and Elizabeth than she should, he wasn't ready to show his hand just yet. "I don't know if I would say she was happy. I would say she was as shocked to find me as I was to find her." Jason arched his brow and waited for Emily to admit her role in the 'chance' meeting.  
  
"Jason," Emily paused searching for the words she needed to express that she was on his side in all of this.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I know this isn't the most ideal situation but... ..."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"I just want to see you happy."  
  
"What makes you think that Elizabeth Malucci makes me happy?" Jason threw up a hardened expression.  
  
"Come on Jason," Emily countered sarcastically.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You can't fool me anymore than Elizabeth could. The attraction between the two of you is electric. A person would have to be blind not to see it."  
  
"Weren't you the one spouting that she is a married woman?" Jason questioned leery of his sister's about face.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why the sudden change of heart?"  
  
"Things aren't always what they seem, that's why."  
  
"What?" Jason couldn't help being confused.  
  
"Elizabeth's marriage to Anthony is a sham."  
  
"What if it is? That really makes no difference. She's still married." Jason's head was finally getting to voice all the concepts his heart wouldn't listen to.  
  
"Jason, Elizabeth is in love with you. Are you telling me that you don't love her?" Emily asked laying all of her cards on the table.  
  
Jason looked away. "What does love have to do with this?"  
  
"Everything!" Emily gasped grabbing Jason's hands.  
  
"You are so naïve, Emily. I can't love Elizabeth," Jason lied. "All that your little match making did was put Elizabeth and not to mention this family in harm's way."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Emily asked exasperated.  
  
"It just so happens that Elizabeth's dear husband is having her followed. Our little 'chance' meeting was under the watchful eye of one of his men."  
  
"Tell me you are kidding?"  
  
"I wish I were Emily. I know you were trying to help but now I need you to do me a favor. I need you to call Elizabeth and apologize for leaving her high and dry last night. I need you to be sure that Anthony and Rocco understand that she had nothing to do with my showing up at the club last night."  
  
"How do you want me to do that?"  
  
"I am sure a resourceful girl like yourself can come up with one way or another."  
  
"I'm sorry Jason," Emily almost whispered. "I didn't mean to make things harder for you and Elizabeth. I just thought that I was giving you an opportunity to be together."  
  
"I know, Em, I know." Jason lightly kissed the top of her head.  
  
"Jason," she hesitated. "I know you love Elizabeth as much as she loves you."  
  
"Maybe, but right now that's the least of my problems." Jason walked away in search of his father before Emily could say anymore.  
  
Pensively Jason entered his father's study. Joseph sat stoic behind his expansive desk his thoughts still centered on the events of the previous night. "Papa?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I would like to discuss something with you."  
  
"I'm not in the mood for another argument Jason."  
  
"Neither am I," the younger Morgan concurred.  
  
"What is it then?" Joseph relented and gestured for his son to take a seat.  
  
Jason looked at his father whose worried expression was etched on his face. Jason's stomach churned. He knew that he was about to open up a can of worms with his words but he couldn't remove the idea that what happened to his mother the night before had been no accident. "Papa, would you like a drink?" Jason asked as he got up and made his way to the sideboard.  
  
"Scotch is fine," Joseph answered. Jason set two glasses and the half-full bottle on the edge of the desk. He was certain that this conversation would be one that required more than just one drink. "You said you had something you wanted to discuss." Joseph took a long swig of the amber liquid.  
  
"It's about what happened with you and Mama last night. Do you really think that it was just an accident?"  
  
"What makes you think that it wasn't?" Joseph countered.  
  
"You do?" Jason asked in sheer disbelief.  
  
"Why shouldn't I?" Neither man wanted to divert from their noncommittal responses.  
  
"Seems a bit fishy to me," Jason finally said.  
  
"If you have something to say Jason, I suggest that you say it." Joseph narrowed his eyes and stared hard at his son.  
  
"I can't help but think that this little 'accident' is the handy work of Anthony."  
  
"So, we are back to that again are we?!" Joseph's voice resonated off the plaster walls. "Everything bad that happens to us is somehow tied to Anthony Malucci!?! Why can't it just be bad luck, or that your mother and I were in the wrong place at the wrong time?"  
  
"Because you and I both know that in our business there is no such thing as bad luck or being in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Jason's own hard stare now met his father's.  
  
Courtney navigated the cluttered construction site on her way to the on site office trailer. She had been trying for days to pull AJ away from his current project. Today Courtney had no intention of taking no for an answer. "Hello Mrs. Morgan," Pete, AJ's right hand man, said as Courtney stepped inside the trailer.  
  
"Hi. You wouldn't happen to know where my husband might be hiding?" she joked.  
  
"I think he's checking on a few of the sub contractors. There was some sort of dispute on scheduling."  
  
"I was hoping to lure AJ away today for a long lunch. Pete, do you think you could help me convince him that for one afternoon this job can survive without him?" Courtney grinned sheepishly.  
  
"I'll do my best, but you know AJ he's got to have his eye on everything."  
  
"I know, I know," she agreed. "I guess I better go on my hunt for him. You said he might be with the subs?"  
  
"Mrs. Morgan, why don't you let me go look for him? It's a hot one out there today. There's no need for you to be walking around the site in your condition. As soon as I find AJ I will send him down."  
  
"Don't be silly. I have been playing on construction sites all my life. That shouldn't have to change just because I am pregnant."  
  
"At least let me escort you," Pete suggested.  
  
"Now how are we supposed to convince AJ this place can run without him if his best construction supervisor is ushering his wife around the yard?"  
  
"I think he would be fine with it given the circumstances." Pete's eyes were drawn to the tiny bulge jutting out from beneath Courtney's sweater tank.  
  
"You go back to work. I am capable of finding AJ all on my own."  
  
Courtney wound her way through the maze of the construction materials that littered the ground. She had been doing this for the better part of her life. Looking around she recalled the many summers that she worked for her father on sites similar to this one. Courtney had been so eager to prove she was as good as any son that for a time she became rather good at swinging a hammer with the best of them. Shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun, she glanced around the site looking for where AJ might be. She found him exactly where Pete thought he would be. He was standing in the middle of several sub contractors doing his best to make everyone happy.  
  
"Good afternoon gentlemen," Courtney said joining the group. Many of the faces were familiar to her. These men had been subbing for her father's company for many many years now.  
  
"I hear congratulations are in order," a long time friend of the family smiled as he leaned in to kiss Courtney's cheek.  
  
"Yes, yes," she agreed patting her stomach. "I was hoping to steal my husband away for some much needed baby shopping." Courtney turned to AJ and smiled. She was thrilled to have been able to back him into a corner. It wouldn't be so easy now for him to brush off her attempts at lunch after all of this.  
  
"Courtney, sweetie, we are on a deadline here," AJ stuttered.  
  
"Nonsense!" the older gentleman spouted. "Your beautiful wife needs you and well, AJ, take it from an old man who missed all of his children's births – enjoy this."  
  
"Thank you," Courtney said. "I have been trying to tell him exactly the same thing."  
  
"You go shopping with your wife."  
  
"But we still haven't worked out the scheduling kinks...."  
  
"We are big boys. We can manage for one afternoon without you." The burly old man chuckled.  
  
AJ looked into Courtney's eyes and knew that there was no getting out of this one today. She had played her cards right. If he stayed he would never live it down. "Looks like you win." AJ threw his arms up in defeat. Courtney encircled AJ's waist with her arm satisfied in finally getting her way. "You know you didn't play fair," AJ kissed her softly.  
  
"All's fair in love and war right?"  
  
"Maybe. Now that you have me for the rest of the afternoon what do you plan on doing with me?" AJ nuzzled his wife's neck thinking that an afternoon lounging in bed together was a much better idea than traipsing to one baby store after another.  
  
"Well I was thinking lunch might be a good place to start. This little one," Courtney brought AJ's hand to rest on her stomach, "is making mommy very hungry."  
  
AJ felt his heart flutter as he rubbed his hand over the bulge in Courtney's stomach. There were times when this was all like a dream to him. They had been trying to have a child for nearly a year and he still had to pinch himself to realize that this was reality. "Well then lunch it is," he smiled. "Courtney, honey, I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry? For what?"  
  
"Neglecting you. Ron's right, I should be enjoying every minute of this pregnancy. I just have so many things on my plate right now. I want to do a good job for your father... ..."  
  
"And all he wants is for you to be a good father," Courtney interrupted him.  
  
"I want that too. I want that too honey." AJ enveloped Courtney in his arms reveling in the love he had found with her.  
  
"AJ!!! LOOK OUT MAN!!!!" Pete's voice cut through the airwaves like a shot.  
  
Joseph and Jason continued to exchange hardened looks across the desk. Neither one backing down in the least. "You can't tell me that it hasn't crossed your mind that this was no accident?" Jason's question was more like a statement.  
  
"What if it has?"  
  
"Then I am sure that it has crossed your mind that Anthony has the most to gain by your demise."  
  
"Why is it you think that Anthony Malucci is this family's only enemy?" Joseph countered forcefully.  
  
"Because he's the only man asinine enough to think he could take on this family and win. He's the only one you have let the door open for one too many times!"  
  
"I have left the door open?"  
  
"Yes you! You have let your friendship with Rocco cloud your judgment where Anthony is concerned!"  
  
"Oh isn't this rich? You are telling me I am the one with the clouded judgment! This coming from the man sleeping with Anthony's wife! If anyone opened the door to this is was you Jason!!"  
  
"Why don't you get that this started long before I ever met Elizabeth!? Anthony has been a thorn in our sides for years now. You can't pin this all on me. You have to take some of the blame as well. Anthony can see that your weakness is Rocco. The loyalty you feel toward your long time friend is what Anthony is feeding on! That's what's put this family in jeopardy not anything that I have done with Elizabeth!!"  
  
Joseph felt his blood boil with his son's acquisitions. "HOW DARE YOU ATTEMPT TO MINIMIZE YOUR PART IN ALL OF THIS!!"  
  
"Like father like son," Jason shot back as the shrill tone of the ringing phone joined the noises in the room.  
  
"WHAT?!" Joseph barked into the receiver. "What do you mean there's been an accident at the construction site? I'm on my way." Joseph sped from the room with Jason hot on his heals. 


	30. Chapter 29

Pete's calls echoed through the stale afternoon air. Instinctively, AJ pushed his wife to the ground and shielded her body with his own. The hard sound of the steel beam crashing within feet of where they lay resounded throughout the construction site. Cautiously, AJ turned his head and stared at the object that had come so close to ending their lives. Within minutes, the entire site crew found their way to them. AJ heard the foremen of each crew barking orders and questions over his head, yet he wasn't able to concentrate of them.  
  
"Are you both okay?" Pete's calm voice and hand reached down to assist the pair and pulled AJ from his confused thoughts.  
  
"Huh?" AJ gave his friend and colleague a bewildered stare.  
  
"Are you and Courtney all right?" Pete questioned again.  
  
The reality that his pregnant wife lying beneath him forced AJ to jump up without thought to his own possible injuries. "OH GOD, COURTNEY!!" Fear and panic consumed AJ as he cradled Courtney in his arms.  
  
"Call for an ambulance!" Pete shouted to another man standing just beyond the group. He knew that this situation required him to be the voice of reason since AJ was certainly not capable of such logic at the moment.  
  
"Courtney, baby....." AJ took his hand and wiped the dirt from her face. "Courtney, baby, can you hear me?" AJ choked on his threatening tears.  
  
"AJ?" Courtney barely spoke above a whisper.  
  
"Don't move," Pete instructed as he watched AJ's wife attempt to sit up.  
  
"What happened?" Courtney licked her parched lips, tasting dirt from where her face made contact with the dusty ground.  
  
"There... ... I ... ...," AJ stammered not having an answer. He felt Courtney stiffened under his grasp. "Court? What's the matter?" His eyes ran the length of her body as they searched for any visible signs of injury. Another wave of pain ripped through her abdomen, as Courtney bit hard on her lip. Tears filled her eyes. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn't find the words to say aloud what she knew in her heart was happening within her body. "Honey, what? What is it?" AJ's voice grew frantic as he watched his wife's face contort in agony again. Courtney grabbed her husband's hand and squeezed it with all she had in her. "WHERE'S THAT DAMN AMBULANCE!?" AJ shouted to those that stood around watching helplessly. "Hang in there sweetie. Just hold on." AJ leaned in and kissed her forehead in a vain attempt to calm not only her fears but also his own.  
  
"I'm scared," Courtney said as the tears continued to silently roll down his cheeks.  
  
Joseph and Jason stormed through the swinging doors of the emergency room. Neither man had said a thing in their short trip from the Morgan compound to the hospital, yet each had a variety of rapid thoughts bombarding them.  
  
"I received a phone call regarding an accident on one of the Matthews Constructions job sites. I am looking for AJ and Courtney Morgan."  
  
Jason watched his father in amazement. Joseph Morgan was cool, calm and collected. All of those things were something that Jason could have never pulled off at that moment. The word 'accident' again came to sit in his mind's eye. Jason couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't an accident any more than what had happened to his parents the previous night had been.  
  
"The doctor is in with them both. We can see them as soon as he's finished his examination," Joseph told his son. Jason stared out the ER window, but he wasn't really seeing anything. His mind was focused on what Anthony Malucci had in store for the rest of the Morgan family, not to mention Elizabeth. "Jason," Joseph rested his hand on his son's shoulder.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"  
  
"Sure." Jason couldn't help but wonder where the sharp-tongued man from such a short time ago had vanished to. It was as if their argument from before the phone rang ceased to exist. For Jason though, his concerns regarding Anthony Malucci were now even more founded. Joseph handed Jason a steaming cup of coffee from the vending machine that sat at the end of the corridor. "Thank you," Jason responded. "Were either of them badly hurt?" he asked referring to his brother and sister in law.  
  
"From what I could gather, there weren't seriously injured. Thank god for that," Joseph sighed.  
  
"That's good to know." Jason eyed his father cautiously. He wanted to discuss his suspicions but he needed to do it in such a way that their conversation wouldn't cause another volcanic eruption from his father. "Papa?" he began hesitantly.  
  
"Yes?" Joseph sipped his coffee with his eyes trained on the swinging doors. He hoped that his intent stare would elicit the doctor's presence.  
  
"I know this isn't something you are going to want to discuss, but I can't stand here in conscience and say nothing. We need to put a stop to Anthony before any more harm comes to our family."  
  
Joseph shot a dagger filled look at his son. "I will not discuss this here!"  
  
"Why?" Jason countered with exasperation.  
  
"AJ and Courtney could have been gravely injured ... ..."  
  
"That's exactly my point!" Jason interjected before Joseph could continue. "If you haven't noticed, Anthony is systematically picking us off one by one. I, for one, don't want to wait to see who will be next!"  
  
"Let's be honest here Jason. The only person who you are concerned that Anthony will harm is your precious Elizabeth!" Joseph's voice contained more venom than he intended, but the fire from within him couldn't be contained.  
  
Jason couldn't say a word. He only stared at his father in disbelief. Joseph's words had torn a hole in his Jason's heart. "You really think that little of me?" Jason walked away, not wishing to continue beating his already battered body against his father's stone wall of thinking.  
  
Joseph looked on as Jason stormed away from him. Methodically, he found himself piecing Jason's version of events into a reasonable sense of order. Joseph knew all of this pointed directly at Anthony Malucci. Anthony was a hot head who thought the rules of the Borgata didn't apply to him. Joseph shook his head, now wondering if Jason wasn't falling into the same trap. His youngest son certainly wasn't following the code of honor that he had been taught from an early age. Jason's attraction to Anthony's wife wasn't something that Joseph could tolerate, but Rocco's urgent request to keep Elizabeth safe from Anthony's rage picked at him from the back of his mind. They were like two warring forces and Joseph had to question just how many more casualties there might be before all was said and done.  
  
AJ's mind wandered as he lay in the cubicle next to Courtney. He listened intently to the sounds coming from behind the makeshift walls that surrounded her, yet nothing intelligible met his ears. He felt the unshed tears he had been forcing down inside himself finally come forth to now sting his eyes. The images of pain that Courtney had worn on her face just before the ambulance arrived terrified him. In his head AJ knew for all intents and purposes what was happening to his wife, but his heart and the love he already harbored for the child she was carrying wouldn't let him think such thoughts.  
  
He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the tiny table. AJ could already feel the stiffness invading his body. The reverberation of the heavy steel beam hitting the ground beside them rang in his ears. In all of his years on construction sites, nothing of this magnitude had ever happened. He couldn't conceive of how it had occurred this time either. He and Courtney's father, Jack, were always so cautious when it came to the security on their sites. This accident didn't make any sense to AJ at all.  
  
"Mr. Morgan," the nurse's voice startled AJ.  
  
"Yes?" he held his breath.  
  
"You can go in and see your wife now. The doctor will be in shortly to speak with you both."  
  
AJ's eyes implored the portly woman to give him more information, yet she remained silent. It was a silence that had AJ fearing the worst. He hesitated at the front of the cubicle. Suddenly, his hands did not feel ready to push away the thin curtain that separated him from his wife. AJ finally pasted on a smile and walked in. "Courtney?" his voice cracked with the single word of her name. He received no response from her. Courtney only continued to stare at the wall to her left. "Courtney," AJ stepped further into the space and eased himself onto the small rolling stool next to the bed. "Sweetie?" AJ heard the trembling of his own voice, and Courtney's silence spoke volumes to him. He reached out to gently stroke her arm. "Courtney?"  
  
Finally she slowly turned to face him. Her once crystal blue eyes were traced with red from her tears. AJ swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, suddenly losing his resolve to be strong for his wife. Before he could even begin to speak, Courtney's tears summoned him closer. Being careful not to jar his own arm, which hung in a sling, AJ cradled his wife against his chest. The sound of the doctor clearing his throat forced AJ to look up, but he hadn't wanted to. He would have preferred to remain oblivious to the facts that this man in the white coat was about to tell them. AJ didn't want to hear that in a split second all that he and Courtney had dreamed of had been taken away.  
  
Jason threw open the swinging doors to the ambulance bay with great force. His pent up rage at his father now spilled forth freely. The idea that Jason's affair with Elizabeth had somehow been the cause of all of this baffled him. He had to wonder where his father had been during all of those times prior to this moment, prior to Jason evening knowing whom Anthony's wife even was. How had it been so easy for Joseph to forget how vehemently Anthony despised all of the Morgan family, not just Jason alone?  
  
Jason paced back and forth in the ambulance bay looking for a way to crack his father's perception of all this. Jason wasn't disputing the fact that what he was doing with Elizabeth would certainly add fuel to Anthony's fire, but it hadn't been the spark that had ignited this bonfire. It was then that Jason let his mind focus on Elizabeth. He couldn't squash the feelings he had for her. He had tried unsuccessfully to do just that, but he was drawn to her in a way he couldn't find words to explain. The thought that Anthony could harm her along with the rest of Jason's family sent chills down his spine. He turned around and took a deep breath. Jason had to make his father see that Anthony and Anthony alone was the problem here. A problem that needed to be irradiated right here, right now.  
  
Joseph sat in the emergency room waiting area wringing his hands. There still have been no word on either AJ or Courtney. Jason saw the look of worry etched on his father's face. "Papa?" Jason said quietly.  
  
"Jason...." Joseph sighed, "I don't have neither the patience or the energy to debate this with you anymore."  
  
"I think you need to make the time," Jason countered somberly.  
  
"Why is it that you aren't hearing me Jason?" Joseph shot back with a harsh tone.  
  
"Oh I am hearing you. I think you are the one who isn't hearing me!" Jason retorted, feeling as if he had just stepped back on this endless carousel ride with his father. "Anthony has been gunning for our family for longer than I can remember. He's looking to take what he thinks is rightfully his... ..."  
  
"ELIZABETH IS RIGHTFULLY HIS!!" Joseph nearly shouted.  
  
"Why are you so damned blind to the fact that this has nothing to do with Elizabeth? It's just a convenient excuse for him!"  
  
"YOU ARE SLEEPING WITH HIS WIFE!! HE DOESN'T NEED AN EXCUSE!!"  
  
"What did you just say?" AJ's voice stopped the two men cold.  
  
"How are you son?" Joseph came forward leaving his argument with Jason behind him. "Where's Courtney? How is she?" Joseph asked as he looked around.  
  
"What were you and Jason just saying?" AJ questioned again.  
  
"Never mind that, how are you?"  
  
"Jason?" AJ looked over his father's shoulder at his brother.  
  
"Papa's right, how are you and Courtney? What happened at the site?" Jason asked cautiously.  
  
"What were you talking about?" AJ pressed.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you, really. Here sit down." Joseph offered AJ a seat.  
  
"My wife and I just lost our baby. I think that the 'family business'," AJ quipped, "very much concerns me!!"  
  
"WHAT!?" Joseph gasped in horror as he shot a hated look in Jason's direction. "Courtney lost the baby?" Joseph repeated AJ's words in disbelief.  
  
"Yes," AJ whispered the reality of his words still not truly hitting him. "Up until now, Matthews Construction hasn't had one accident on any of our job sites. Somehow I can't help but think that 'la familia' and its warped sense of justice played a part in all of this!" AJ said as his angry eyes shot between his brother and father.  
  
Jason felt the world spin violently beneath his feet. AJ's statement bantered around in his mind and he felt as though he was about to vomit. Anthony hadn't been successful in getting rid of the two eldest Morgan men, but he had ensured that the next Morgan generation was stopped before it had ever even started. Jason felt a tear trickle down his cheek for his brother's loss.  
  
"YOU – YOU DID THIS!!" Joseph was blinded by his fury. Jason stood dumbfounded, unable to say a word. "ANTHONY'S ATTACK ON OUR FAMILY IS YOUR FAULT, JASON!! YOU AND YOUR NEED TO FUCK HIS WIFE!!" Joseph had lost all sense of reason. The loss of his first grandchild had him feeling as though he was in some sort of suspended animation. Jason's role, or what Joseph thought to be Jason's role, in all of this was all that he was able to see.  
  
"Is what Papa says true? You are responsible for this?" AJ lifted his head and stared at Jason almost stunned by the notion that his own brother could have played even a small part in this nightmare.  
  
"NO!!" Jason gasped. He truly believed his words, however the men before him carried far different expressions.  
  
"I nearly lost my wife and I did lose my child. All of this happened because you couldn't keep your goddamn pants on!?!" AJ's voice shook with anger.  
  
"That's not true!" Jason shot back.  
  
"The hell it isn't! Do you hate me that much?" AJ questioned.  
  
"What?" Jason looked at his brother with a quizzical expression, not understanding what AJ was asking him.  
  
"Do you hate me so much for leaving you holding the bag that you would go out and look for a way to steal what you thought should have been yours?!" AJ was consumed by the anguish he felt over losing his child. He couldn't make sense out of any of this. Previous conversations regarding Anthony Malucci mixed with the words that were now being spoken until AJ wasn't able to think straight. The one thing that stood out in his mind was the way Courtney looked when the doctor confirmed what they had already known. Her agony and his own pain were the only things that were pushing AJ forward at the moment.  
  
Jason suddenly felt as if the world was swallowing him alive. His head screamed that he wasn't the bad guy in all of this. His heart broke with the idea that his father and brother thought that he would intentionally bring harm to his own family in any way. "I'm not to blame for this!" he screamed as though he was a small child again. "I'm not the one out to destroy this family!" Jason ached for them to understand. "Why are you so blind to the fact that Anthony has been a threat to us from the first time he thought that his family, not ours, should have been on top? Papa," Jason nearly pleaded with his father, "you know that I speak the truth. Anthony has been looking for this opening for years. He sees opportunity in his father's impending death. He sees it in the fact that you are so damned loyal to Rocco. Anthony knows that you won't clip Rocco's only son!"  
  
"You benefit from that loyalty as well!!" Joseph interrupted. "I am sure that's why you are still standing before us now. Rocco would no more let Anthony harm you than I would you him."  
  
"Don't you see that he's doing just that?!?" Jason threw his hands up in the air, frustrated by his father's tunnel vision. "Are you telling me that Anthony's attempts on the lives of this family are sanctioned by Rocco?"  
  
"NO!" Joseph shot back.  
  
"So, then my thoughts are right. Anthony is looking for his opening and if he can't find it, well, it appears he's willing to make his own."  
  
Joseph leaned into the stiff plastic chair and covered his face with his hands in the hopes that when he removed them this would all be just a bad dream. He had so many jumbled emotions running rampant through him that Joseph couldn't differentiate what was possible fact from what was pure fiction.  
  
"I will take my part in all of this but you have to accept yours as well, Papa. None of that matters now anyhow. What does matter is that Anthony is careless. Careless so much so that he has cost this family a child. I know you, Papa. I know the codes. Women and children are always protected. They are virtually off limes. Anthony has ignored that on both accounts. He is a menace. A menace who needs to be stopped dead in his tracks!" Jason said matter of fact.  
  
Joseph rested his hand gently on AJ's knee. His eldest son had lost a possible son today through no fault of his own. Joseph had gone out of his way to insulate AJ from all aspects of the business. Everyone in his circle knew that AJ and his family were never to be touched. Today, Anthony Malucci had changed all of that. Retribution was necessary. Going about exacting that retribution would be a delicate matter, however it was one that Joseph needed to sort out on his own.  
  
"Does that mean that you will stop pursuing Anthony's wife?" Joseph asked calmly.  
  
"You expect me to leave her unprotected?" Jason asked incredulously. "WE all know what Anthony is capable of. I certainly can't leave Elizabeth whipping in the wind."  
  
"Oh – but you can do that to your own flesh and blood?!" AJ growled.  
  
"AJ," Jason cried, "I am truly sorry... ..."  
  
"SORRY!?! SORRY – that's all you can say? Courtney lost a baby today and all you can think about is what might happen to your precious goomah."  
  
"Elizabeth's not ... ..."  
  
"ENOUGH!" Joseph barked. "Both of you, that's enough. Jason, I think it would be best if you left AJ and I alone for a while."  
  
"What about Anthony?" Jason asked.  
  
"Trust me Jason. I will handle what needs to be done," Joseph asserted.  
  
Jason eyed his father carefully. "Trust you?" he thought to himself. Not more than thirty seconds earlier the man he called father had wanted his head on a chopping block and now that same man was telling him to trust him. Jason wasn't so sure he could do that. 


	31. Chapter 30

Joseph placed the receiver in its cradle and let out a heavy sigh. He knew by the tone of Cassandra's voice that he had frightened her with his cryptic call. However, no words said over the phone would be able to describe what happened to AJ and Courtney that afternoon. He couldn't remove the look of utter despair Courtney had worn from his memory. He and AJ had gone to her room, but words of comfort evaded Joseph. There was nothing he could do for either of them. All of his efforts to remove his eldest son from the strangle hold of the family business had proved to be fruitless in the end. This feeling of helplessness ate away at Joseph. He was a man who was used to controlling all things around him. In two very short days strikes had been made against his family. One was successful and the other not so much so. The idea that anyone had even dared to defy the authority that Don Morgan wielded was ludicrous to Joseph.  
  
Jason's words that Anthony was systematically picking the Morgans off one by one haunted Joseph, as did the idea that he was blinded by his loyalty to Rocco. If this had been another time and another place, Joseph knew that shenanigans of Anthony's caliber would have never been tolerated. He also had to question Rocco's loyalty to his own son. The elder Malucci had given Joseph the opportunity to wipe Anthony from the face of the earth without question. So – why was it he was still holding back? Why was he letting his family get caught in this game of cat and mouse that Anthony was orchestrating? Who else would have to be harmed before Joseph would see his way clear to exact revenge?  
  
He rested his head in his hands and attempted to force himself to think straight, to think like the Don who he had been groomed to be. He couldn't stop wondering exactly what his father was thinking as he stared down at him from heaven. Did the man that Joseph revered see his son as weak? Did he see him as having no control over his own sons? Joseph swiveled around to stare at the picture-laden mantle. Photos of AJ, Emily and Jason looked back at him. The old time ways of the Borgata were lost on the generation that encompassed his children and Joseph was saddened by that fact. He could have never imagined going to his own father and telling him that he wanted to be set free of the life that was expected of him in the way that AJ had done, nor could Joseph imagine one of his brothers having an affair with the wife of another confirmed man in the administration as Jason was doing now. Those things were unheard of in the Golden Age of the Mafia. Yet now they seemed to be common place. Men like Joseph and Rocco were playing be a set of rules that seemingly no longer applied to the world they had been prepared to take over. Joseph's eyes came to rest on AJ and Courtney's wedding photo again. His heart ached for their loss. It was a loss that he had had means to control if he had only seen his way clear to handle matters a few months ago.  
  
'...handle Anthony by whatever means necessary...'  
  
Rocco's words resonated through Joseph over and over again. There was no denying that his life long friend had been more willing to move forward with the times in which they now lived. Maybe it was time for Joseph to be doing the same as well.  
  
"Joseph!?" Cassandra's frantic voice called to him. "Joseph?!"  
  
"In here dear." Joseph tried to keep his tone steady. Telling Cassandra about the loss of AJ's child wouldn't be an easy task. He removed himself from his perch and met her as she entered the room. "Come sit down." He reached for his wife's hand as he led her to the sofa.  
  
"Joseph, you are scaring me," Cassandra said as she searched her husband's eyes for some idea of what had him so shaken.  
  
"There was an accident at one of the Matthews Constructions sites today."  
  
"Oh God, AJ!!" Cassandra's voice rose and octave.  
  
"AJ's fine," Joseph reassured his wife.  
  
"Thank the Lord. If AJ is fine, why would you frighten me with such an obscure phone call?" her eyes questioned as she moved closer to her husband.  
  
"The accident involved Courtney."  
  
"Courtney??" Cassandra echoed with confusion. "What does a construction site accident have to with Courtney?"  
  
"I don't know all of the details, but apparently she had gone to see AJ." Joseph paused as he sought the words that eluded him.  
  
"Joseph, is Courtney all right?" Cassandra finally asked him.  
  
"She miscarried this afternoon." The statement sounded so clinical to Joseph, but it was the only way for him to say those words without crying.  
  
"WHAT?!?" Cassandra gasped in horror. "This is some kind of joke right?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. It's all quite real."  
  
"How – how did this happen?" Cassandra stammered.  
  
"There was a mishap with a crane operator today."  
  
"MISHAP!?!?" Cassandra shrieked.  
  
"A steel beam that was being hauled up to one of the upper floors of the structure slipped. Luckily Pete was able to alert AJ in time. He pushed Courtney out of the way. The doctors are fairly sure that the impact of her fall is what caused her to lose the baby." Joseph's sentences were short and almost choppy in nature. It was more like he was reading the happenings from a newspaper article rather than relaying the events that had unfolded that afternoon.  
  
"How could this have happened?" Cassandra asked again.  
  
"It was an accident," Joseph replied.  
  
Cassandra stared into the depths of her husband's eyes. It was easy to see the torment that lay behind those sky colored orbs. There was also no mistaking that there was more to this story than Joseph was willing to divulge. "Just an accident?" Cassandra questioned.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why is it that I don't believe you?"  
  
"Exactly why don't you believe me?" Joseph asked moving away from her and heading toward the sideboard for a much-needed dose of liquid comfort.  
  
"I know you Joseph. I know that there's something you aren't telling me!" Cassandra persisted.  
  
"There's nothing left to tell. I have told you all that I know about it."  
  
"Hardly!" she scoffed. "My son and the girl who has grown to be like a second daughter to me lost a child today, and I want to know why!"  
  
"Cassandra, it was nothing more than an unfortunate accident. It was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he offered. He turned and stared out onto the patio, hoping to avoid his wife's burning glare.  
  
"You mean like the accident that we almost had last night?" Cassandra countered sarcastically.  
  
"Exactly!" Joseph was quick to agree.  
  
"I am beginning to think that that's not the case at all."  
  
"You said so yourself, Cassandra. Last night was just an accident and so was what happened to Courtney today. It was just a horrible accident." Joseph felt the bile rise higher in his throat with those remarks. He tried to quench it with each gulp of scotch he consumed, however that only served to heighten the burning sensation.  
  
"Accidents are never really accidents when it comes to this family are they?" Cassandra arched her brow to show Joseph that she was asking if this had anything to do with the family business without really asking the question.  
  
"I have it under control," he offered.  
  
"What do you have under control?" Cassandra pressed. It was one thing for her and Joseph to be targets in some war, but it was an entirely different matter when her children were included in the battle too. She wasn't about to sit idly by and let Joseph keep her in the dark. There was a time to be silent and a time to ask questions. This was the latter.  
  
"Cassandra," Joseph crossed the room and stood next to his wife. "I have always been able to handle things up until now. I promise I will continue to do so."  
  
"Are our children in danger?"  
  
"I think right now Courtney needs you......"  
  
"You can't ignore my question, Joseph!" Cassandra almost ordered. "If my children are in danger, I have a right to know from whom."  
  
Joseph ran his hands over his face. He knew that Cassandra wasn't about to give up without knowing the full scale of all that was happening. "I will make sure no one is in danger," he replied without giving her the answer she was looking for.  
  
"So – you are at least admitting that there is some sort of danger?"  
  
"You know as well as I do that danger and the life that we lead go hand in hand. I have never lied to you about that."  
  
"Then why are you lying to me now? Why can't you just tell me who this family is in danger from?"  
  
"We aren't in danger per se... ..."  
  
"The hell we aren't! We lost a grandchild today and all you can do is stand here spouting that it was some kind of accident??? You may have sheltered the women of this family, Joseph, but we are by no means stupid."  
  
"I never... ..."  
  
"What's going on here?" Cassandra cut him off. "Who is targeting this family, Joseph? Please tell me. We haven't had a rival family rise up against us in quite some time. The only problems we've had have been with... ..." Cassandra's voice trailed off as thoughts inside her head clicked together.  
  
"What?" Joseph said.  
  
"This is about Anthony Malucci, isn't it? This has something to do with what I heard Anthony's wife telling Emily months ago, doesn't it? What is going on here Joseph? You assured me that you had the situation under control." Joseph wasn't about to meet his wife's blazing eyes. "Are Jason and Elizabeth Malucci involved with one another? Are they having an affair?" Joseph's silence spoke volumes to her. The blunt force of his lack of response to her accusation caused her to drop her body on to the sofa. "My son, my Jason, is having an adulterous affair with the wife of his worst enemy?" Cassandra questioned bewildered by it all.  
  
"I think that there's more to it than just a mere affair. I believe that Jason loves the girl.  
  
Cassandra's eyes grew wide in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing pass through her husband's lips. "You are condoning this?" She almost choked on the words.  
  
"No – yes – hell I don't know anymore! So many things don't add up right now." Joseph's own frustration finally came bursting through to the surface. "There's more to this than meets the eye. I just can't put my finger on it."  
  
"Might I suggest that you get a handle on it sooner rather than later, before any more harm comes to this family and namely to Jason."  
  
Cassandra's remarks mirrored her husband's exact thoughts. The idea of any harm coming to Jason by way of Anthony's hand had Joseph seeing red. No matter how he did or didn't feel about what Jason was doing with Elizabeth, that didn't take away from the fact that Jason was his son, his flesh and blood. Joseph wasn't about to let harm come to him. "There is a way to handle this matter, but I am hesitant to take action. It goes against everything that I was brought up to believe in. I was told that families handled their own and if I cross this line, I don't know if I can ever come back again." The anguish that Joseph felt about acting on Rocco's request was evident on his face.  
  
"So what are you saying? Are you saying that you would honor some letter of the law rather than protect your children?" Cassandra nearly cursed him with those words.  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Then what other alternative do you have?"  
  
"I don't know," he returned honestly. "I just don't know."  
  
Jason aimlessly walked the streets of Chicago. His mind was filled with so many questions and far too few answers. The pained expression on his brother's face plagued him. AJ's biting words of Jason's hatred for him stung. Jason had never professed to hate his brother. Yes, he hated the fact that AJ had been set free to live a normal life, but in no way did that equate to a hatred for his own flesh and blood. Jason shook his head in an attempt to surmise just where and how this all had gotten so far out of hand. He just couldn't buy into his father's time line. He couldn't accept the notion that Elizabeth and her appearance in his life caused this snowball effect. Jason heard the melodic sound of her name rolling around in his brain. Elizabeth – Elizabeth – Elizabeth, to him it sounded almost like a chorus of angels. Elizabeth was like an angel to him. From the first time he had laid his eyes on her, Jason had felt such warmth radiating from her being. It was a warmth that had steadily melted his ice- encrusted heart. As Jason stood lost in his blissful existence with Elizabeth, his conscience reared its ugly head. It asked questions that Jason didn't want to ponder. It asked if Elizabeth's presence in his life had changed him? Had she forced him to see what an empty existence he had led without her? Was his love for her making him careless with the things that were the most precious to him? Had she reminded him of all the things that he thought he could never have, things that were only reserved for his siblings?  
  
Jason stopped and looked at his reflection in the mirrored surface of an office building as he walked passed it. He was having a difficult time recognizing the man who was looking back at him. In the light of what happened in the past few days, it seemed as thought his conscience was finally winning the war with his heart. Jason felt a pang of guilt as he sat down on the front steps of the Drake Hotel. His brother and sister in law had lost a precious gift that afternoon. He recalled how angry he had been the day that AJ had delivered his joyous news. However, Jason had not been angry enough to wish such a nightmare on even his worst enemy. Tears pooled in his eyes at the thought of never getting to hold his niece or nephew. That delight had been stolen not from just him, but the entire Morgan family.  
  
Anthony Malucci's face filled Jason's thoughts. It was that sardonic face that forced Jason to realize that it wasn't his family and the way of life he had been schooled in that kept him from what he wanted most. It was ultimately Anthony Malucci who was the culprit. Anthony and his warped version of the way things should have been. Anthony's need for power and the lengths that he would go to get it was what cost Jason, AJ and Elizabeth their dreams. Jason toyed with that thought as he slipped the key card for his penthouse into the designated slot in the doorframe. Anthony was nothing more than a bully. In his younger days, Jason had been able to take care of the playground bullies with a quick fist and a few caustic words. Now though, he knew the stakes in this adult playground were far too high for that. Jason wasn't about to let anyone else pay the price for Anthony's wrath, even if that meant walking away from the person who he knew in his heart was his soul mate.  
  
Jason felt his chest constrict around his heart at the idea of leaving Elizabeth. He crossed the living room. It was filled with so many memories of their union – as short as it was. There wasn't any corner of the penthouse that Jason didn't see Elizabeth looking back at him. He groaned as he filled the highball glass before him to its rim with scotch. There was nowhere that he could hide from her. Even an alcohol filled haze was not enough to make Jason believe that he would ever be able to forget Elizabeth. He pushed the glass away and paced the room.  
  
Jason wanted to believe his father when he said that he would handle Anthony. From what Jason had seen of Joseph's attempt thus far, he didn't hold out much hope of seeing the action he felt needed to be taken in order to truly deal with Anthony. Jason didn't have any choice but to set Elizabeth free. He had to defuse the one bomb he had control over. He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat as his heart began with its familiar barrage like commentary. Suddenly his conscience had been silenced, leading Jason into another bout of confusion.  
  
He made his was to the bank of windows that looked down on the cityscape of Chicago. He was drawn again to how normal everything below him appeared to be. There were people going about the business of their daily lives. Jason stood questioning exactly what the word 'normal' meant at all. Certainly there was the dictionary definition but Jason couldn't help but think of the word as nothing more than a subjective term. The Morgan 'normal' was most certainly very different from that of the average man on the street. Just as the working single mother's normal was a far cry from the 'normal' of a doctor's wife. The word 'normal' took on a different meaning depending on each person's perspective. So why was it that Jason couldn't make a 'normal' for himself that would include Elizabeth too?  
  
"STOP IT!!" Jason shouted at the voices bantering in his head. "Just do what you have to do! For everyone's sake, just walk away!" He spoke as though he was having a conversation with someone who wasn't even in the room. Walking away from Elizabeth wasn't going to be as easy to do as it had been to say. Simply walking away wasn't necessarily going to keep Jason's family or Elizabeth safe. Jason was certain that even if Joseph didn't clean house where Anthony was concerned, he would surely tighten the reins of security around his loved ones. The same thing would have to be done for Elizabeth. Jason couldn't virtually turn her out to pasture and then just hope that her wolf of a husband wouldn't find her. Jason leaving Elizabeth certainly didn't negate the fact that he still loved her and God help Anthony Malucci if anything so much as a hangnail happened to his wife.  
  
"Hey, Johnny," Jason said to the voice on the other end of his cell phone. "I need you on a private project."  
  
"Private project?" Johnny parroted back to Jason.  
  
"Yes. This is never to be mentioned to my father. Do you understand me?"  
  
"Sure boss."  
  
"I need you to keep a close eye on Elizabeth Malucci. I want you to be her shadow."  
  
"For how long?"  
  
"For as long as I feel it's necessary. I want you to report anything even remotely suspicious. I want you to tell me if Anthony so much as harms one hair on her head... ..."  
  
"I don't get... ..." Johnny cut him off.  
  
"You don't have to get it. You just have to DO IT!" Jason growled.  
  
"Where am I supposed to find her? I mean I can't exactly walk onto the Malucci grounds and say 'Hey don't mind me. I am just here to follow your wife'," Johnny quipped.  
  
"I don't know where... ..." Jason began to answer but he stopped short as the hidden panel slid away to reveal Elizabeth standing in front of him. 


	32. Chapter 31

Jason nearly dropped the receiver from his hand as Elizabeth emerged from behind the secret panel he had only revealed to her days ago.  
  
"Boss??" Johnny's voice pierced Jason's eardrum. "Where do you want me to start looking for Elizabeth Malucci?"  
  
"Never mind. I'll be in touch..." Jason answered haphazardly laying the phone down.  
  
"What do you mean you'll...." Johnny started as the line went dead in his ear.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Jason tried to sound angry as Elizabeth threw herself into his arms, yet he was filled with relief in knowing that she was alive and well. His mind suddenly began to spin. Jason hadn't prepared himself for having to face her so soon.  
  
"I've been calling your cell phone all day, but I just kept getting your voice mail. I was getting worried." Elizabeth stroked his cheek gently.  
  
Jason looked down at the display screen of his phone. He finally saw the symbol that indicated he had messages in the reflection of its face. With all the events that happened that day, he hadn't even bothered to think about his cell phone. "How'd you get up here? Did anyone see you? It's too dangerous for you to be here!" Jason shot out his comments in rapid succession as he moved away from Elizabeth's soft touch.  
  
"You're wrong, there's no danger. Anthony never said so much as a word about you. Emily called this morning just as you said she would. We are completely in the clear." Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Jason's neck and gave him a joyful kiss.  
  
He tried not to laugh at her words. They were far from being in the clear. If anything, he and Elizabeth were even more in the thick of things when it came to Anthony and his madman's games. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."  
  
Elizabeth heard the detached manner in which he spoke to her. "Jason – what do you mean? What's going on?"  
  
"Nothing." He shrugged off her hands as they tried to make contact with him again. Jason couldn't afford the confusion Elizabeth's touch brought him.  
  
"Jason?" Elizabeth furrowed her brow as she sought some explanation for his behavior.  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
Elizabeth's closeness only served to make it more difficult for Jason to push her away. This would be at least his third attempt at removing her from his life. He mused about saying 'the third time's the charm'. At this point, Jason had his doubts.  
  
"Jason, what's wrong?" Elizabeth continued to follow in his path as he made his way around the expansive penthouse living room.  
  
"I told you it's nothing," he answered as his pacing began to resemble that of a caged animal.  
  
"Obviously it's something that's a lot more than 'nothing'," Elizabeth mocked him. "You handled the Anthony situation marvelously. What more can we have to worry about?" she asked in a rather naïve fashion as she rubbed his tense shoulders.  
  
"Plenty," Jason countered under his breath.  
  
"What did you just say?"  
  
"Nothing." Jason shook his head as he made a retreat behind the bar. He hoped the thick mahogany structure would serve as enough of a barrier between the two of them. He needed the distance so he could stay focused on the task before him.  
  
"Please don't shut me out," she asked. "Is it business? Did something happen?" Elizabeth continued with her barrage of questions. "Maybe I can help."  
  
"The best way for you to help me is for you to just leave."  
  
"Excuse me?" Elizabeth looked at him as if he was speaking a foreign language.  
  
"You can't be here," Jason stated calmly gathering his strength.  
  
"Jason, enough already! What the hell's going on with you?" Elizabeth almost shouted. She had grown tried of his riddles.  
  
"You heard me. You can't be here. This thing, whatever it is, between us is over." Jason's face was stoic as he recited the speech he had been rehearsing in his head.  
  
"This 'thing'....." Elizabeth did little to disguise the hurt she felt at Jason's flip comment. "This thing, Jason, is love and it's far from over!" she returned forcefully.  
  
"Elizabeth, don't do this. Don't make this harder than it has to be!" Jason almost pleaded. He knew she wasn't about to tuck her tail between her legs and slink away, but right now Jason wished that she would do just that. It would have been much easier to watch her walk away from him than it would be to standing in front of her and see hurt and anger fill her features.  
  
"Don't do what, Jason?" she asked with exasperation.  
  
"Don't push this... ..."  
  
"This – don't push this??"  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason groaned, finally partaking of the drink he had pushed away earlier.  
  
"WHAT!?" Elizabeth threw her hands up in utter frustration.  
  
"We can't see each other anymore." Jason brought the crystal glass to his mouth and swallowed the caustic liquid in one fail swoop.  
  
"What?" Elizabeth nearly choked on the single syllable word.  
  
"You heard me. This is over."  
  
"I don't understand," she cried. "Why? Why after one day away from each other is it suddenly over?"  
  
"It's over because it has to be, nothing more nothing less."  
  
"Jason, what the hell's going on here? This doesn't make any sense!" Elizabeth wailed in frustrated anger.  
  
"It makes perfect sense if you would just open your starry eyes to the truth that's starring you square in the face!" Jason swallowed hard as he watched Elizabeth's mouth drop. She was stunned by his mean-spirited remarks.  
  
"Believe me Jason, I know what the truth is here. It seems to me that you are the one not facing it."  
  
"You seem to think that just because you want something a certain way that it is. Well that's not the case here. This is one fairy tale that should have ended before it ever even started!" Jason retorted avoiding Elizabeth's pointed comment.  
  
"Fairy tale?" Elizabeth was bewildered by every word that fell from Jason's mouth. "This – us – was never a fairy tale for me Jason."  
  
"What was it then? You surely couldn't have thought that it would ever amount to more than what it is now. It was never destined to be some great romance. It was sex Elizabeth and nothing more!"  
  
Jason watched Elizabeth's face fall with sound of each hateful word. He listened to himself and the venom that spilled forth from his mouth. His heart slowly died with each tear Elizabeth shed. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH YOU!?!" Elizabeth begged for a logical response.  
  
"THIS AFFAIR IS OVER!" Jason spat.  
  
"NO!!!"  
  
"Yes!" Jason growled as he narrowed his eyes in a vain attempt to hold back his own tears.  
  
"Why?" She found herself asking for the hundredth time.  
  
"It's over Elizabeth. Just accept that fact and move on."  
  
"Move on?!?" There was no stopping the flood of tears that made silent tracks down her flushed cheeks. "Exactly who is it you think I have to move on with, Jason? My husband – if you can even call Anthony that, is a womanizer who has never really loved me in the first place. My father – well he's more worried about grabbing his precious senatorial seat and keeping his ass out of jail than he is about my being happy. Rocco – isn't long for this world, and now the one sane force in my miserable life is walking out on me. So, please tell me exactly who it is you think I should move on with?"  
  
Jason took a long swig from his third glass of scotch. He did his best not to think about Elizabeth's remarks even thought the reality of those comments hit him like a ton of bricks. Unfortunately, he couldn't forget the wounded look AJ had worn that afternoon or the biting words that still stung when Jason let himself think about them. He had to remain steadfast in his conviction for everyone's sake. As much as it hurt, Jason knew that breaking off his relationship with Elizabeth was the only thing to do. "You have to make the best of the hand that you were dealt," Jason said not only to Elizabeth but to himself as well.  
  
"THIS ISN'T SOME GOD DAMN POKER GAME, JASON!!" she screamed.  
  
"Yes, Elizabeth, it is but in a regular poker game all you can lose is your money. In this game of ours you, we all, could lose our lives."  
  
"What do you mean lose our lives? What happened Jason? What aren't you telling me?"  
  
"It doesn't matter what did or didn't happen. All that does matter is that I need to walk out of your life and never look back." Jason almost choked on his words.  
  
"Are you telling me that you don't love me Jason? Are you telling me that when we are apart you don't feel as empty as I do? I don't believe you can look me in the eye and tell me those things." Elizabeth closed the gap between them and forced Jason's eyes to meet hers. "Come on Jason, tell me that's how you feel!"  
  
"Elizabeth, this can't continue, no matter how I feel or don't feel. Our relationship has been wrong from the very beginning .. ..."  
  
"No it's not wrong! It is the most right thing I have ever felt in my life," she cried cutting him off.  
  
"Right or wrong it's over!"  
  
"NO – NO!!!!" Elizabeth stomped her feet in defiance.  
  
"Listen to me!" he ordered. "I am done taking chances with other people's lives... ..."  
  
"It's my life Jason, I can take whatever chances I want!" Elizabeth felt as if they had been dropped back in time twenty-four hours and were now having the same argument they had had the previous evening.  
  
"The hell you can! This doesn't just involve us any more!"  
  
"What? What do you mean this doesn't just involve us anymore?"  
  
"Elizabeth, please go ... ... for god sakes just GO!!" Jason's voice resonated off the walls.  
  
"NO!! Not until you tell me what happened."  
  
The stubborn streak that he had witnessed that first night, the quality that Jason admired most about her, was now coming back to haunt him in spades. "Elizabeth, your knowing what's going on isn't going to change the fact that you have to go. So, why not make it easier on us both and just go?"  
  
"The hell I will make it easier on you, Jason! I don't just cut and run when the going gets tough."  
  
"Elizabeth this isn't some movie where everything ends happily," Jason sighed in aggravation. "When it ends, it's going to end badly. I won't be responsible for that."  
  
"There you go again talking in riddles. What the hell are you trying to say Jason? What happened between last night and today that has you so spooked?" Elizabeth moved closer to him again resting her hands on his shoulders. She leaned her forehead against his back as her lips made contact with the bare skin of his neck.  
  
"STOP IT!!" Jason growled as he pushed her away from him. "STOP IT!!"  
  
Elizabeth was undaunted by Jason's rebuff of her affections. She wasn't about to give up on him or their relationship. "Please talk to me," she whispered returning her hands to his shoulders.  
  
"There's nothing to talk about," Jason protested.  
  
"I think there is. What happened today?" Elizabeth gently prodded.  
  
Jason watched as dusk slowly enveloped the city skyline below. The fact that he was mentally exhausted made it all the easier for Elizabeth to pierce his defenses. The images of AJ's devastated face flooded Jason's memory again. There was no where he could go to escape the thought that he had played a part in his brother's loss. Jason's emotions devoured him until he could no longer hold back the tears.  
  
"Jason?" Elizabeth was shocked and even a bit frightened to see him cry. "What – what is it?"  
  
"AJ's wife miscarried this afternoon," Jason blurted out.  
  
"Oh Jason, I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's my fault. All of it. The accident with my parents, Courtney losing her baby .. ..."  
  
"What do you mean it's your fault?" Elizabeth countered confused by his admission.  
  
"This – you and me –," Jason spun around and pointed his finger between the two of them. "It's started a war Elizabeth. Anthony is out to destroy my family and I have given him the means and motive to do it!"  
  
"You aren't responsible for what Anthony does," Elizabeth assured him to no avail.  
  
"The hell I'm not! I knew that I was walking a tightrope with you Elizabeth, but rather than get off I decided I could defy gravity. Look at what that has already cost my family. I can't let it cost them anymore. I have to let you go. For your sake as well as my own, we can't see each other again!" Jason forced the words from his mouth.  
  
"Please – you can't be serious? I can't just pretend that I don't love you Jason. You can't expect me to just walk back into Anthony's arms as if nothing ever happened between us. I can't do that Jason. I just can't."  
  
"I can't continue to take part in this relationship. The stakes are too high Elizabeth."  
  
"Jason... ..." Her voice was filled with mounting sobs.  
  
"I'm sorry Elizabeth, I'm sorry."  
  
Before she could say any more Jason made his way to the door and left her to watch his retreating back.  
  
Cassandra sat in the darkened house. She had been unable to join her husband when he retired for the evening. There were far too many thoughts racing through her mind to even think about sleep at that point. All she was able to focus on was the facts that she knew to be true. Jason's affair with Anthony Malucci's wife had put her entire family in jeopardy. Cassandra was baffled by her son's behavior. She couldn't wrap her mind around the thought that Jason was having an ongoing Liaison with a married woman. The reality of it hit her like a lead weight, as did Joseph's revelation of Jason's love for Elizabeth. Cassandra believed that to be the toughest pill to swallow in all of this. She knew her son well enough to be sure that if there was even a grain of truth to Joseph's thoughts, this war between Anthony Malucci and the Morgan family was far from over. It actually had only just begun.  
  
Cassandra crossed the room and poured herself another cup of coffee as she heard the lock on the front door click as it opened. She knew it had to be Jason without even looking. Cassandra debated whether to approach him or to leave well enough alone. She hadn't gotten very far in her discussion with Joseph that evening, and now she wondered if talking to Jason might be a better way to approach the situation. Feeling as if she needed to be the proactive one in this matter, Cassandra stopped Jason just as he reached the foot of the staircase. "Jason." Cassandra's voice wasn't above a whisper, but in the stillness of the house it seemed booming my comparison.  
  
Jason was startled by it as he turned around to face his mother. "Mama, what are you doing up so late?" He looked down at the face of his watch to check the time. It was well passed four in the morning. After leaving Elizabeth standing in the middle of his penthouse, Jason had made his rounds to the many bars that the city of Chicago had to offer. Never once had he taken a drink. Instead Jason sat mesmerized by the mating rituals taking place before him.  
  
"I could ask you the same question," Cassandra said driving Jason from his destructive thoughts. "Where were you son? Tonight should have been a night that the family was together." She gave Jason an open invitation to explain the facts she already knew.  
  
"I needed some time alone," he offered.  
  
His mother eyed him curiously and wondered just how alone he had been. "That may have been what you needed Jason, but I believe that your brother could have used the support of his family during this very difficult time."  
  
Jason bit his tongue to stop the words that he had truly wanted to say. He had wanted to tell his mother that he was the last person AJ wanted or needed to see right now. Jason couldn't blame him for that. The idea of looking at his own reflection in the mirror didn't do much for him either. "Papa and I saw AJ at the hospital this afternoon."  
  
"Jason," Cassandra's tone was almost scolding. "I don't think that nearly qualifies do you?"  
  
"I thought maybe AJ would prefer to be alone with his wife. This was their tragedy, not mine."  
  
"It's a family tragedy," his mother corrected pointedly.  
  
"And?" Jason was quick to respond.  
  
"Jason!" Cassandra gasped at her son's lack of compassion and sudden disregard for family loyalty. "What on earth has gotten into you?" Again she provided Jason with and opening to explain his relationship with Anthony's wife.  
  
"Nothing." Jason ran his hands over his weary face. He wanted nothing more than for his mother to disappear.  
  
"I disagree. You have been acting strangely for weeks now."  
  
"So I've heard," Jason said under his breath.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Forget it," he said waving her off.  
  
"Jason, I will not tolerate the disrespectful manner in which you are speaking to me. I am still our mother, grown man or not, and I expect to be treated as such."  
  
Jason felt bursts of hot air escape his nostrils. At four in the morning, he neither wanted nor expected to be having an argument with his mother. "I apologize," he offered taking the high road in the hope that it would provide him with a quick exit. "If you don't mind, I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow. I would like to grab a little sleep before then."  
  
"I think that you could spare your mother a few minutes of your time."  
  
"For... ..." Jason heard the edge creep into his voice and stopped himself short. "What is it that you need Mama?" he corrected.  
  
"Come sit." She directed him to the sofa in the middle of the room. "Are you all right son?" she asked when they both were settled.  
  
"I'm a little tired and stressed but that goes along with the territory doesn't it?"  
  
"Unfortunately, yes it does, but it seems that more is troubling you than just the usual business struggles."  
  
"It's nothing I can't handle." Jason shifted beside his mother uneasily as his mind was forced to recall Elizabeth's pained expression as he left her in tears.  
  
Cassandra looked at her son and thought about how much he and Joseph were alike. Their responses to her questions were nearly one in the same, yet Jason's face portrayed more confusion than he was willing to admit to anyone. "Jason," Cassandra reached out to him. "Please son, tell me what's troubling you. Is it what happened to AJ and Courtney this afternoon? I know it was a horrific accident, but it won't do any of us any good to bottle up our feelings."  
  
There was that word again...accident. The only accident Jason could see was his accidental meeting with Elizabeth Malucci. The things that followed that encounter had been in Jason's control and now they were in Anthony's. "I'm not the son you need to be worrying about right now, Mama. AJ's the one who lost a child today, not me." I only lost the love of my life, Jason thought to himself.  
  
"I beg to differ."  
  
"Is there something you want to say, Mama?" Jason asked suddenly thinking that there was far more to his mother's concern than met the eye.  
  
"I just want you to know that I am here for you Jason. I only want what's best for you, for all of my children."  
  
Jason attempted not to laugh. The sheer contradiction of her statement was absurd. "Don't you mean what's best for the family? That's what's truly important here, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, family is important. Your father and I have never professed anything different... ..."  
  
"Please spare me the lecture. I know the drill. Hell, I even have it committed to memory. Not to worry, Jason won't be causing the family any more trouble." Jason spat without evening thinking. He had spent so much time trying to avoid this unavoidable conversation that he just didn't care anymore.  
  
"Jason what are you talking about? Cassandra feigned ignorance. "What kind of trouble could you have caused us?"  
  
"The kind of trouble that makes accidents happen."  
  
"Jason, you aren't making much sense. Maybe you were right, maybe it would be better for us to pick up this conversation in the morning."  
  
"Why? Nothing will be any different in the light of day."  
  
"You might be thinking more clearly by then."  
  
"My thinking is crystal clear!"  
  
"Are you sure of that, son?"  
  
"YES MOTHER I AM POSITIVE OF THAT FACT!!" Jason's voice grew deep with hostility. "I am positive that for the good of the family I just walked away from the best thing that ever happened to me!" Jason choked back his tears to no avail.  
  
"Jason..." Cassandra reached out to her son, but he threw his hand out as if to stop her vain attempt at comfort. The tears she had seen cresting on his lashes tore at her heart. There was no denying the agony that Jason was experiencing. It was written all over every feature of his face. As a mother, that torment was something that Cassandra would have done anything to erase. However, as the wife of a Mafia Don, she understood that it came with the empire that Joseph and generations before him had built.  
  
Jason left his mother went up the stairs to his room and closed the door. He leaned back into the hard wooden surface and his emotionally spent body slowly slipped to the floor. In the span of twenty-four hours, he had gone from having everything he had ever dreamed of to once again having nothing. As hard as he tried to hold them in there was no stopping the tears that made their way down his face. Wiping them away, he took out his phone and dialed. "Is she home and is she safe?" he asked. 'Good. Make sure she stays that way." Jason flipped the phone closed. In the blackness of the room, he shut his eyes and relived his memories of Elizabeth. Memories were all that he had left now. 


	33. Chapter 32

Elizabeth sat on the window seat and looked out over the lush gardens that filled the grounds of the Malucci estate. The groundskeepers busied themselves with the various tasks of keeping the flowerbeds and bushes in pristine condition. While watching people move about in front of her, Elizabeth let herself get lost in a world that she could no longer have. How could she have let herself be deluded into thinking that she and Jason would stand the test of time? How could she have been so blind? Love is blind she thought as she wiped a stray tear that found its way down her cheek. There was no end to the memories that paraded through her mind. She and Jason had known one another for a short time, but for Elizabeth it felt like it had been forever. How was she supposed to just walk away from him? How was she supposed to forget the wonderful man she found in him? Elizabeth knew the answers to both of those questions and the answer was that she couldn't. No matter what Jason expected her to do she couldn't comply with his request. Elizabeth walked to the desk picked up the phone and dialed the Drake Hotel. She wasn't about to give up on what she wanted.  
  
Jason laid on the king-sized bed in his penthouse and listened to the phone ring for the umpteenth time over the last several days. Why he was torturing himself by staying in this place he hadn't a clue. The only viable conclusion was that being there kept Jason away from the strained silences and tension that surrounded him the minute he entered a room with either his father or mother. A second reason, and the more important of the two, was that his penthouse was the one place he could indulge himself with his memories of Elizabeth.  
  
No matter how hard Jason tried he couldn't get Elizabeth off of his mind. He wasn't able to get passed the voice inside his head that constantly repeated that he had thrown away the best part of his life. It was as though when he decided to cut her from his life, he had cut his heart out with the same knife that he used to sever the ties of their relationship.  
  
Jason pulled himself from the bed and made his way across the room. Just as he knew it would be, the hotel service light on the phone was blinking. He didn't even bother to retrieve the message. Jason was certain of its contents. It would be the same as the dozen or so messages before it. It would be Elizabeth begging for him to call her or pleading with him to rethink his decision. He erased the message without even listening to it. Each time he heard her voice it chipped away at his resolve and that was a fact that he, Elizabeth and his family couldn't afford. Nonetheless, Jason picked up the receiver and placed his daily call to Johnny. "How's your assignment going?" Jason asked before the guard had a chance to say hello.  
  
"It's pretty easy."  
  
"What do you mean easy?" Jason questioned.  
  
"She hasn't set foot out of the house in days."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Man, I'm telling you she's never left the grounds much less the house."  
  
Jason ran his hand over the stubble poking its way through his chin. He was unsure if this news was a good or a bad thing. All that he did know was that it left far too much up to interpretation. It would have been better if Elizabeth had been going about the business of her life. Sitting holed up in the Malucci mansion left her at Anthony's mercy, a fact that more than slightly concerned Jason. "What about Malucci?"  
  
"Hasn't been home much as I can tell," Johnny answered.  
  
"So, has he or hasn't he been home?" Jason countered.  
  
"Who exactly am I supposed to be tailing here, Malucci or his wife?" Johnny already had had enough of his boss' spy game. This wasn't what he signed on for when he joined on to be one of the Morgan family soldiers. Johnny didn't see himself as a glorified baby sitter.  
  
"Both of them!"  
  
"So, what, I'm supposed to be in two places at once now?" Johnny quipped.  
  
'YOU'LL BE WHEREVER I TELL YOU TO BE!!" Jason growled. "Unless of course you would prefer a permanent vacation," he said as if he had ice water flowing through his veins.  
  
"The Mrs. never leaves the house boss, and well Malucci comes and goes at all hours," Johnny answered with an adjusted attitude. Jason's pointed remark illustrated that no matter what Johnny thought – his boss was still the boss.  
  
"DANM!" Jason cursed.  
  
"What do you want me to do? Should I be tailing Malucci now?"  
  
"NO! You stay right where you are. Elizabeth is your number one priority. I'll handled Tony myself."  
  
"Whatever you say boss."  
  
Jason closed his clear blue eyes and let out a labored breath. The more he tried to simplify things the more complicated they seemed to get. He could only imagine what Anthony was up to. Jason wanted to believe that his erratic behavior only pointed to his endless string of goomahs, but in the back of his mind Jason knew better. He was certain that Anthony wasn't finished with the Morgans just yet. However, Jason wished that he had some idea of where and when Anthony's next strike would be.  
  
"Elizabeth." Rocco's voice startled her.  
  
"Huh?" she returned placing the phone in its cradle.  
  
"Are you all right dear?"  
  
"Yes," she lied. Elizabeth swallowed hard around the lump in her throat as she tried in vain to push back the tears that stung her soft blue eyes. Jason had forced her to leave but another message with his service. It was a message that in her heart she knew would go unanswered just like the many others before it.  
  
"Helena is about to serve breakfast. Please won't you join me? You know how much I hate eating alone." Rocco smiled broadly.  
  
"I'm not all that hungry."  
  
"Elizabeth," he paused. The sadness in his daughter in law's eyes over the past several days hadn't gone unnoticed. Rocco wondered what had happened to the bubbly creature that had been ready to take on the world. "Are you sure you are feeling all right? I haven't seen you eat anything in days. Why don't I ring for the doctor?"  
  
Rocco's concern for her caused another wave of tears to well up in her eyes. As she looked at the frail man sitting in the wheelchair before her, she would have given anything to be able to tell him what was really going on. Rocco was the last string that tied her sanity together but even that wouldn't change the fact that Rocco was still a Capo under Don Morgan. It was that fact that made Elizabeth painfully aware how truly alone she was now. "No need to bother the doctor, really. I am just a little overtired is all. The benefit is only a few days away and well I guess I am just feeling a little overwhelmed."  
  
"If you needed more help you should have said something. I am sure I could have gotten one of the secretaries from the office to lend a hand."  
  
"No, no really Emily and I have it under control. It was just with AJ's wife's miscarriage... ..."  
  
"What miscarriage?" Rocco interrupted her.  
  
"You didn't know?"  
  
"Didn't know what?"  
  
"There was an accident on one of the Matthews Construction sites. It was my understanding that AJ and Courtney were nearly crushed by a steel beam. Luckily that didn't happen but she did lose the baby she was carrying."  
  
"NO!" Rocco gasped as he recalled the joy he had heard in his friend's voice when Joseph announced he was to be a grandfather for the first time.  
  
"According to Emily, the family is taking it pretty hard."  
  
"I can only imagine," Rocco concurred. "You said there was some sort of accident on a construction site?"  
  
"Yes. It was a crane mishap if I remember correctly."  
  
"Jack Matthews is known for all of the precautionary measures that he takes. It's unheard of for any of his jobs to have even a small mishap, let alone something as devastating as the things you have mentioned." The wheels in Rocco's head began to turn. There was something about all of this that just didn't sit right with him. Matthews Construction had a reputation that was above reproach. Jack Matthews and his crew had racked up countless awards for site safety and OSHA commendations. That's what made this 'accident' all the more difficult to believe.  
  
"Rocco," Elizabeth's voice pierced his thoughts.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm sure Helena is waiting breakfast on us. Are you all right?" She now returned his earlier question to her.  
  
"Yes – yes I'm fine. I just feel for Joseph and Cassandra. This baby would have been their first grandchild."  
  
Rocco watched Elizabeth push her eggs and bacon around the plate never once bringing a single piece of food to her mouth. He too had lost his appetite. As much as he tried, Rocco couldn't keep himself from thinking that some way, some how his son was tied to what happened to AJ Morgan's wife. Rocco couldn't deny that it was far too coincidental given the way Anthony felt toward the entire Morgan family.  
  
"Are you finished sir?" Helena asked reaching for his almost full plate of food.  
  
"Yes – yes thank you."  
  
"I'm also finished, Helena." Elizabeth offered her plate as well.  
  
"Elizabeth you barely touched your food," Rocco said.  
  
"I could say the same for you," she countered with a smile.  
  
"I guess I lost my appetite."  
  
"I understand. It's hard when a life is lost before it's even begun." Elizabeth's words carried a double meaning. For Rocco she had been speaking of the loss of a child but for herself she was talking about the loss of a great love.  
  
"I should phone Joseph to express my condolences."  
  
"I will be calling Emily shortly. Would you like me to do that for you?"  
  
"That's sweet of you, really, but there are a few business matters that also need to be discussed. It would be better if I made the call myself."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"What do you need to speak with Emily about?" Rocco questioned.  
  
"We need to arrange a time today to go to the Chicago Botanic Garden and go over the last minute seating changes and organize the presenters list for the benefit."  
  
"I see. Well don't let me keep you from making that call."  
  
"Rocco, are you sure you are all right?" Elizabeth watched him curiously. A dark shadow surrounded his face. It wasn't hard for her to see that he was suddenly preoccupied with something. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if Rocco had drawn the same conclusion Jason had regarding Courtney's accident.  
  
"Yes, dear I am fine. You go busy yourself with that benefit."  
  
Elizabeth glanced back over her shoulder at her father in law. It broke her heart to realize how his health had deteriorated over the last few years. She knew he wasn't long for the world. Each doctor's appointment brought less and less promising news. Rocco had resigned himself to the fact that he would be meeting his maker sooner rather than later, however, Elizabeth wasn't quite ready to give up hope – especially now that Rocco was her last link to any sort of normalcy. Elizabeth partly closed the door to the study. She hoped beyond hope that when she made her call to Emily that it would be Jason who answered the phone instead.  
  
"Nice to see you finally dragged your ass out of bed." Anthony's sadistic voice cut through the silent room.  
  
"Anthony," she gasped. "You scared me!"  
  
"Good," he sneered. "What are you doing in my study all alone?"  
  
Elizabeth could smell the stale alcohol on his breath and the faint aroma of a perfume that didn't belong to her on his body. Both aromas nauseated her. "What does it look like?" she countered sarcastically holding the phone before his glazed eyes.  
  
"There's at least a phone in every room of this damn house. Why are you in this room of all rooms? Thinking of slipping some trade secrets to your lover?!"  
  
"You're drunk!" Elizabeth stated.  
  
"What if I am? You still never answered me, Elizabeth. What are you doing in my study?"  
  
"Making a phone call."  
  
"To who Elizabeth!?" Anthony bellowed as he ripped the receiver from her hand.  
  
"Emily," she nearly whispered.  
  
"Emily Morgan huh? From what I hear the Morgan family is having a rough time of it lately," Anthony feigned concern.  
  
"You wouldn't know anything about that now would you?" As scared as she was of Anthony's wrath, Elizabeth needed what little information he might have to offer. She needed it so that just possibly she could use it in her fight to bring Jason back into her life.  
  
"ME?!?"  
  
"Yes, you!"  
  
"What makes you think I am the only enemy the Morgan family has? From the looks of it, Joseph and his precious Jason have pissed off quite a few people. It's about time some of them came a callin'." Anthony smiled sinisterly.  
  
"It was you!" Elizabeth's declaration fell from her lips before she was able to stop it. "A young woman last a child because of you... ..."  
  
Before Elizabeth could say anymore, Anthony's face was within inches of her own. "Remember whose family you are a part of Elizabeth!" he growled. "You may be sleeping with a Morgan, but you aren't one. You are a Malucci, a Malucci until death do us part!" Anthony roughly pushed his lips into hers.  
  
"Anthony," Rocco called from the doorway. "Let Elizabeth make her call. I have some business that I need to discuss with you."  
  
"Just remember my dear," Anthony whispered as his lips grazed her ear, "I always finish what I start."  
  
Elizabeth watched her husband saunter confidently out of the room. It wasn't until he was safely out of sight that she broke down in a flood of tears. Jason was right. Anthony was a madman and an unpredictable one at that. So, why weren't those things forcing her to see the world as Jason did? Instead of believing that everyone would be safer if they remained apart, Elizabeth felt just the opposite.  
  
Jason sat across the patio table from Emily. He had been grateful when he found that she was the only one home that morning. He was too preoccupied with how to get a handle on Anthony. He knew he couldn't have withstood going through the motions with his parents that morning.  
  
"You have been awfully quiet lately," Emily said as she watched Jason snap the morning paper in front of his face. "Jason," she continued while he attempted to hide behind pages he never intended to read.  
  
"What?" he relented when he heard Emily tapping her brightly painted nails against the table's glass top.  
  
"What's been wrong with you lately?"  
  
"Nothing." That single word had become Jason's pad answer to most questions that were asked of him these days.  
  
"Yeah right!" Emily scoffed.  
  
"I'm working on a tricky business deal," he offered a semi-truthful answer.  
  
"Business deal?" Emily arched her brow curiously.  
  
"Yes, a business deal."  
  
"Well, that's the first time I have ever heard it called that." She stifled a laugh.  
  
"Mrs. Malucci is on the phone... ..." Rosa said as she made her way to the table phone in hand.  
  
"Tell her I'm not here!" Jason spoke before he gave the servant an opportunity to finish her sentence.  
  
"The call is for Miss Emily," Rosa countered unsure of what to say next.  
  
"Oh," Jason said. He was suddenly embarrassed by his outburst.  
  
"Thank you, Rosa." Emily eyed Jason quizzically as she got up to take the call.  
  
Jason peaked out from behind the corner of his reading material and watched Emily chatting away with Elizabeth. His curiosity was getting the better of him and he wondered exactly what the pair was talking about. From the little he could hear of Emily's side of the conversation, it was about the Coronary Care Benefit, which would be held the following evening. "What did Elizabeth want?" Jason tried to sound nonchalant as he took a sip from his coffee cup.  
  
"What do you care Jason? You were the one who didn't want to talk to her. Exactly why was that?" Emily asked as she took her seat. Jason shifted his eyes once again to the headline of the newspaper. He searched the recesses of his mind for an answer, one that he thought his sister would believe. "What's going on with the two of you? Elizabeth was so distracted on the phone I could barely make sense out of what she was saying."  
  
"Was she all right?!?"  
  
Emily took notice of how anxious Jason suddenly became. "I think so why?"  
  
"Nothing. You just said so yourself that she seemed distracted. I was thinking that maybe something could have been wrong, with Rocco perhaps," Jason added in the hope that he had covered himself.  
  
"Jason, what's going on here? You and Elizabeth are both acting rather strangely."  
  
"Nothing's going on that I know of."  
  
"Oh Jason, please, I wasn't born yesterday."  
  
"I know," he returned.  
  
"So stop beating around the bush and just tell me already."  
  
"Really there's nothing to tell."  
  
"Why didn't you want to talk to Elizabeth, Jason?"  
  
"I just didn't, all right?" Jason strained to remain composed.  
  
"That's not good enough. Why are you suddenly on one hand acting like you could care less about Elizabeth and on the other worried that's something is wrong with her? That doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. It doesn't to me anyway," Emily sighed.  
  
"Em, for once could you just leave it alone?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Please, this is hard enough without having you pushing me too. I am doing what I have to do."  
  
"What do you have to do Jason?" Emily questioned relentlessly. Jason shook his head feeling as if he was talking to Elizabeth all over again. "There is no denying that you have feelings for Elizabeth, dare I say that you love her. I know that the relationship is complicated... ..."  
  
"Complicated?? It's beyond complicated!" Jason countered with frustration.  
  
"Maybe I can help you."  
  
"No one can help me."  
  
Emily heard the defeat in her brother's voice. "Jason... ..."  
  
"ENOUGH EMILY, ENOUGH!!" Jason shouted as he pushed his body away from the table. She watched him make a hasty retreat from the patio to the house. She knew that there was most definitely something going on between Jason and Elizabeth. She only hoped that she would have more luck getting Elizabeth to talk about it than she had with Jason. 


	34. Chapter 33

Rocco sat patiently collecting his thoughts as he waited for Anthony to join him in his study. Rocco still wanted to believe that Anthony hadn't been party to the events that had cost Joseph Morgan his first grandchild. Given the scene he had just witnessed between Elizabeth and Anthony, however, he knew that wasn't the case at all. He had heard his son's mock denial of the crime but Rocco wasn't buying it any more than Elizabeth had. He felt his chest constrict around his heart. For once he knew it wasn't his illness causing the pain. This pain had been brought on by the miserable excuse for a son Rocco had raised.  
  
How had Anthony become so twisted Rocco asked himself? How had he lost sight of all of the things that made the world that encircled them work? Rocco shook his head and wished for an answer. He was flabbergasted that Anthony was cold and callous enough to use a woman and an unborn child as pawns in his elaborate chess game. That was the part in all of this that Rocco was unable to forgive or forget. Such things were never done. A woman and child were to be revered. They were never to be used as a means to an end.  
  
"You wanted to discuss business?" Anthony asked when he finally entered the room.  
  
"Yes I did."  
  
"Well, what is it?" Anthony huffed impatiently. He was anxious to get the next leg of his plan put in motion. The last thing that he wanted to be doing was making nice with his father.  
  
"I am sure you have heard of the tragedy that has befallen Joseph and his family."  
  
"Some accident or something like that," Anthony said nonchalantly as he wondered where his father was headed with his remarks.  
  
"It was more than just some accident. AJ's wife lost a baby!" Rocco stressed resisting the urge to snap his son's neck.  
  
"I hadn't heard that," Anthony lied.  
  
"Well now you have. We need to mobilize our men... ..."  
  
"What for?" Anthony cut Rocco off in mid-sentence.  
  
"To seek retribution for what has happened to Joseph's family," Rocco said matter of fact.  
  
"WHAT?!?" Anthony's anger began to boil.  
  
"You heard me. If the tables were turned and it had been your wife who had lost a child, Joseph and his crew would be right here doing the same for us."  
  
"Hardly!" Anthony shot back. "Jason and his father would be dancing on my child's grave!"  
  
Rocco clenched his hands at his side and forced down the words he wanted to say from coming out of his mouth. He wanted to shout 'No son that's what you are doing!' but stopped himself. "You don't believe that anymore than I do, Anthony. Yes, you and the Morgans have your differences, but in a time of crisis we all need to come together as one."  
  
"What crisis!?!" Anthony flamed.  
  
"The one that I see happening all around me," Rocco countered pointedly.  
  
Anthony stared at his father carefully in an attempt to gauge just how much Rocco did or didn't know about who had been behind the accident that had claimed AJ Morgan's child. "Exactly what are you trying to say? Do you think it wasn't an accident?" Anthony asked.  
  
"What do you think?" Rocco returned the question with one of his own.  
  
"I think that AJ isn't even in the business, which means it would have to have been just an accident." Anthony heard his response and tried to keep a straight face. He sounded even more naïve than his wife did had when she first entered into his world.  
  
Rocco cocked his brow and gave his son a quizzical look. "Who are you trying to kid here, son?"  
  
"I'm just saying that over the years Joseph has made it perfectly clear that AJ wasn't part of the business. He said that AJ and his family were never to be touched... ..."  
  
"EXACTLY!!"  
  
"Exactly what?" Anthony threw up his hands trying to feign ignorance all the while he knew just what his father was trying to say without saying it.  
  
"I find it hard to believe that a construction company that has operated for years without so much as one worker's comp claim has suddenly had a crane accident on one of its sites," Rocco stated with great agitation in his voice.  
  
"What exactly is it that you expect from me?" Anthony finally asked.  
  
"Before we do anything, I would like for us to offer our condolences as a family."  
  
"As a family?"  
  
"Yes. I believe that you, Elizabeth and I should go to the Morgan estate and offer our sympathy for their loss. Elizabeth said that Emily told her that the family is taking this all rather hard. I feel that offering our support and loyalty is the right thing to do."  
  
Anthony pushed down the bile that he felt rising into his throat. His father's loyalty to the Morgan family enraged him. The mere thought of standing before Jason and Joseph playing the part of a concerned ally made Anthony want to hurl. In the back of his mind though, he took great pleasure in knowing that he was the cause of all the anguish the Morgans were feeling. The sadistic side of Anthony got the better of him as he heard himself agree with his father. "Maybe you are right," he offered.  
  
"Oh really?" Rocco was taken aback by his son's suddenly agreeable tone.  
  
"Yes. If this really was a strike against the organization, we never know who may be next. I think that we should stand united."  
  
"I am glad to hear that." Rocco was puzzled by his son's abrupt change in demeanor. "Well then good. Let's gather our things and head over to the Morgan estate now. I will have Raul bring the car around when Elizabeth returns from her benefit meeting."  
  
"Wait... ..."  
  
Rocco heard Anthony's voice and knew that there had to be a catch. He was sure that his son wasn't about to willingly make nice with the enemy. "Yes?"  
  
"The Coronary Care benefit is only a day away."  
  
"Your point, Anthony?"  
  
"Don't you think that you should save your strength for tomorrow?" The mask of concerned son came to rest on Anthony's face.  
  
"Save my strength for tomorrow?" Rocco echoed.  
  
"Yes. As much as you try to hide it, it's easy to see that you haven't been feeling well these past few weeks. I am not sure that the stress of rehashing what happened to AJ's wife would be good for you right now. Besides, I know how much Elizabeth is looking forward to you joining us at the head table tomorrow." Anthony used his trump card with the inclusion of Elizabeth. He knew that his father would certainly not want to disappoint his daughter in law.  
  
"I am the Capo of this family. I should really be the one to go."  
  
"I will speak for you. I am your second, am I not?" Anthony questioned.  
  
"Yes," Rocco answered reluctantly.  
  
"Then let me be the one to offer our support to Joseph and his family."  
  
"You want to offer our support?" Rocco almost choked on the words, not to mention the thought.  
  
"Yes. I will let Joseph know that no matter what needs to be done, he can count on the Malucci family to be a part of whatever action is taken." Anthony smiled. "Let me go make a call. I want to be sure Joseph and his family are up for visitors before Elizabeth and I arrive at their door."  
  
Anthony ended the torturous conversation that he had been having with his father and went to find a phone in another room of the house. While he was glad he had emerged unscathed from any accusations, pretending that he gave a damn about Joseph Morgan and his family had been a hell of an act to pull off.  
  
"Yeah," Reggie's voice met Anthony's ear.  
  
"Is everything ready?" Anthony asked.  
  
"Yeah ... ... but," Reggie hesitated.  
  
"But what?"  
  
"I don't think... ..."  
  
"You aren't paid to think!" Anthony spat angrily. He had used up all of his pleasantries with his father. He didn't have the patience to deal with the possibility that Reggie was getting cold feet.  
  
"Are you sure about this?" Reggie questioned taking advantage of the fact that this conversation was taking place over the phone rather than in person. "I mean I'm not so sure we should be messing with the Morgans again so soon."  
  
"The sooner the better!" Anthony hissed.  
  
"You are crazy, you know that man! If we get caught, Morgan is going hang us both by our balls!"  
  
"We?" Anthony questioned. "There ain't no we in this. It's you, my man, and there's no way you'll get caught."  
  
"Come on Tony... ..." Reggie stuttered. No amount of money in the world would save him if Joseph Morgan found the men who were responsible for the loss of his grandchild. "You are messing with women here... ... and kids!!"  
  
"I am doing what I have to do to claim what should have been mine a long time ago!"  
  
"Then you can do it without me!" Reggie said suddenly feeling brave.  
  
"LIKE HELL!!" Anthony bellowed. "You think that you are going to jump ship now? Look around you Reggie."  
  
"What?!?" Reggie's anxiety got the better of him as he shifted nervously in the glass phone booth."  
  
"Just watch your back!"  
  
Reggie heard the phone go dead in his ear and his eyes immediately began to search his surroundings. He knew that Anthony's men were all around him even if they were hidden from view. Reggie was sure that one way or another he would lose. If he didn't do as Anthony instructed, he would end up at the bottom of the Chicago River, but if he did follow his orders god only knew what the Morgan family would do to him.  
  
Elizabeth sat in the parking lot of the Chicago Botanic Gardens and made a vain attempt to regain her composure. As she lowered the driver's side visor and looked at herself in the small mirror, it was easy to see how shaken she still was from her earlier run in with Anthony.  
  
".........I always finish what I start........."  
  
Anthony's sneering face and his cryptic words spooked Elizabeth more than anything he had ever said to her before. What puzzled her most in all of this was that she knew that Anthony was aware of her affair with Jason, yet her husband had done nothing about it. Then again maybe he did have plans for the two of them she thought. Elizabeth recalled the anguish that she heard in Jason's voice when he had told her about his sister in law's miscarriage. Like Jason, Elizabeth now felt her own sense of guilt about the part they both played in that event. Yes, it was Anthony who had been the true cause of what happened, but Elizabeth couldn't forget the fact that the relationship that she was carrying on with Jason had added fuel to her husband's hatred of the Morgans. Elizabeth looked at her reflection in the mirror again and pasted on a contrived smile. She hoped that it would be enough to convince Emily.  
  
"I'm so glad you are here," Emily gushed as Elizabeth entered the room.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"The caterer says he can't get the crayfish for one of the appetizers."  
  
Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh of relief. She had expected to hear of another strike again the Morgan family rather than a mere problem with the food for the benefit. "He does intend to replace it with something else I assume?" Elizabeth questioned. She looked over Emily's shoulder at the swinging metal door that led to the kitchen area.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Problem solved then... ..."  
  
"What problem?" Jeff Webber asked as he approached the two women. "Good afternoon dear." Jeff kissed Elizabeth gently on the cheek as she tensed at his touch.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked a noticeable edge came over her voice.  
  
"I called the house looking for you. Helena told me you had come to meet with Miss Morgan to go over the final preparations for tomorrow. I thought I would come and join you."  
  
"Miss Morgan," one of the caterer's assistants interrupted.  
  
"Yes?" Emily turned her attention to the young man.  
  
"The chef, he needs you in the kitchen."  
  
"Excuse me." Emily said as she turned and followed the assistant into the kitchen.  
  
"So, what do you really want?" Elizabeth asked harshly when Emily was out of earshot.  
  
"I am just checking on your progress."  
  
"Oh please," Elizabeth snorted.  
  
"What?" Jeff countered as if he was hurt by his daughter's lack of trust in his motives.  
  
"Spare me the concerned benefactor routine. What's really on your mind?"  
  
"If you must know, I am worried about how you plan on conducting yourself during the benefit."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I need you on your best behavior dear. There can't be any of the stunts like you pulled that night at the Morgan house. I have lined up some major players for my campaign to join me for this event. I can't have them seeing anything but the loving family that I have portrayed us to be."  
  
"Loving family?!?" Elizabeth grumbled under her breath.  
  
"YES!"  
  
"OH that's a joke if I have ever heard one."  
  
"Elizabeth, tomorrow is very important to me. My career and how far I can ride this political machine hinges on this benefit and how I am perceived when I am in public," Jeff stressed in an attempt to make a point.  
  
"Then it's a shame you don't have any more children to sell into slavery!"  
  
"ELIZABETH!!" Jeff gasped.  
  
"What? Does the truth hurt, daddy dearest?" Elizabeth sneered.  
  
"Can't you just play along for once?" Jeff almost pleaded. "For everyone concerned, why can't you just play this game for this one night?"  
  
Elizabeth began to speak but stopped short. The reality of that question hit her hard. She wasn't able to stop herself form thinking that things might had turned out differently if she had been better at playing the role that had been forced on her. If she had been able to wall of her emotions, if she had been able to accept a loveless marriage, if she had just never met Jason Morgan, then maybe, just maybe, she could have done what her father was asking now.  
  
"Elizabeth?" Jeff's voice broke into her private thoughts.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Please, just do this one thing for me. Please don't make waves tomorrow night."  
  
"Do I have a choice?" Elizabeth quipped.  
  
"Yes, but choices do not come without consequences." Jeff added. He knew full well that his daughter understood what those consequences might be.  
  
Elizabeth was thankful to see Emily heading back in her direction. She had been ready for this conversation to end before it had even started. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Elizabeth, I need your opinion in the kitchen. The chef has prepared several appetizers to replace the crayfish, and I just can't make a decision about which one to choose."  
  
"I will let you two get back to work." Jeff kissed his daughter's cheek in keeping with the pretense of his visit. "It appears that you have a few things to iron out yet. Nice to see you again Miss Morgan."  
  
"Good-bye Congressman Webber." Emily offered in return.  
  
"Please call me Jeff."  
  
"Jeff it is then." Emily smiled as Elizabeth's father made his way to the exit. "Your father is a charming man."  
  
"Let's go see what the chef has to show us," Elizabeth said as she ignored Emily's remark about her father's charms. In Elizabeth's opinion, Jeff Webber had about as much charm as a street urchin.  
  
"Are you okay?" Emily asked sensing the tension in Elizabeth's frame.  
  
"Yes. I guess I am just getting a bit nervous." Elizabeth looked for a way to remove the dark cloud that her father had just hung over her head. "By this time tomorrow, the event will be set to start in a few hours. It's all just a bit overwhelming. I have never been in charge of such a production. I really don't want to let Rocco down."  
  
"Rocco?"  
  
"Yes. He's put a great deal of stock in my abilities. Malucci Manufacturing has a lot riding on this project. I just want to do a good job."  
  
"The benefit is just as important for you father right?"  
  
"Yes, of course it is," Elizabeth agreed. She tried to remember the rules of the game that she was supposed to be playing, however the costume of devoted daughter and loving wife was rather constricting.  
  
Emily and Elizabeth spent the next several hours ironing out the menu alterations with the caterer and his staff. There were also several seating changes to address and the presenter's list to be finalized. By the time both women felt that they finally had a handle on things it was nearing the dinner hour. "Wow! Look at the time." Emily gestured toward the clock on the wall. "Where did the time go? Would you like to go grab dinner with me?"  
  
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment and weighed her options. One was going home and having to face her husband and the other involved spending the evening sitting across from Emily while she wrestled with the guilt she felt for what Anthony had done to the Morgan family.  
  
"If you have plans... ..." Emily took Elizabeth's silence as her polite way of backing out of the offer.  
  
"No, no I would like to have dinner with you."  
  
"Great." Emily was relieved Elizabeth had agreed. It was now time to get down to the business of exactly what was going on between her and Jason. "Do you have a particular place in mind?"  
  
"Not really," Elizabeth stated.  
  
"I could really go for some pizza. What do you think about Chicago Pizza downtown?"  
  
"That sounds good to me," Elizabeth concurred.  
  
"Great. I can drive. It doesn't make sense for us both to try to park downtown.  
  
"Yeah, sure that's fine," Elizabeth agreed.  
  
She settled into the passenger seat of Emily's car. The tension that she had felt since the early afternoon was finally beginning to wane. Elizabeth enjoyed the time she spent with Emily. It was almost like having a true girlfriend to talk to, so for the time being, Elizabeth simply wanted to enjoy the reprieve from the complications of her life.  
  
"It appears that your father is mounting a nice campaign for his bid to the Senate," Emily said off handedly as she maneuvered her car out of its space.  
  
"Yes he is." Elizabeth kept her answer brief.  
  
"I imagine the success of this benefit will garner a great deal of support for him and bring some wonderful research grants to Chicago Memorial as well. I was looking over some of the information that Rocco sent my father. It was quite impressive."  
  
"Uh huh." Elizabeth said averting her gaze to the city streets passing before her eyes. In her heart, Elizabeth knew Emily spoke the truth. She was sure that the grants Anthony and her father had helped bring to the hospital would serve a great many people. Yet, for her, somehow that didn't negate the underlying seediness of it all.  
  
"It appears to me that we have something in common," Emily said while she silently thought to herself, 'besides the affection we both hold for Jason.'  
  
"What's that?" Elizabeth was curious about that remark since from where she sat, she and Emily Morgan were as different as night and day.  
  
"We both have powerful fathers."  
  
Elizabeth choked on the thought that Emily saw Jeff Webber as a powerful man. "If you say so." Elizabeth suppressed a laugh.  
  
"Well, he is a congressman. That's quite an accomplishment."  
  
Elizabeth wanted to scream as Emily went on singing the praises of Congressman Webber. Why was it that so many people around her were oblivious to what was staring them squarely in the face? Why was she the only one to see what a snake her father really was? She turned her head again to watch the city streets speed passed her and tried desperately to drown out Emily's flowery praises of the illustrious Congressman Jeff Webber.  
  
"ENOUGH!" Elizabeth said raising her voice. "You don't have a clue... ..." she said as she turned to focus her attention back on the young woman beside her. "EMILY!!!" Elizabeth shrieked when she saw the line of traffic before them had suddenly stopped. 


	35. Chapter 34

The sound of her voice screaming Emily's name resonated in Elizabeth's ears. She watched as the car kept its steady pace as it headed straight for the sea of bright red taillights in front of them. "EMILY!!" Elizabeth yelled once more.

Emily Morgan finally ceased with her ramblings long enough to have her attention drawn back to the stopped traffic ahead of her. "OH MY GOD!!" she screamed with her own frightened voice as she slammed her foot against the brake pedal. Nothing. She tried to keep her cool as she pumped the pedal again. Still nothing. She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat and began to panic.

"EMILY, STOP THE DAMN CAR!!" Elizabeth ordered.

"I'm trying ... ... I'm trying," Emily was nearly in tears now.

"Well try harder!" Elizabeth felt helpless as she sat watching and waiting for Emily's Volvo to slam into the cars filling the city street. The scene in front of her looked more like a parking lot, not a thoroughfare through downtown Chicago.

Again Emily stepped hard on the brake. The effort did not produce anymore results than it had the first dozen times. The pedal was soft under her foot. The car continued on its path as though it was on autopilot. Suddenly an idea struck Emily. It was something that her father had taught her about what to do when the roads were snow and ice covered. She downshifted the car into the lowest gear possible. Both she and Elizabeth felt the pull of the transmission as it slowed the car's pace just a bit.

"WHAT THW HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!?" Elizabeth bellowed.

"Trying to get the car under control," Emily stated. She was suddenly very calm.

For all of Emily's efforts the car was still headed straight for the traffic that was bottlenecked on the street. Emily searched her surroundings in hopes that she could find a place to bring her car to a halt where it would cause the least damage to it, herself, and Elizabeth. Just as they were nearing the congested traffic, Emily swerved and hit a fire hydrant head on.

Jason sat in his office at Morgan Enterprises scanning the files before him but not really seeing them at all. He had paced around the house for hours waiting for Emily to return from her meeting with Elizabeth. When his father and mother had come home from their visit with AJ and Courtney, he had slipped out the back entrance of the house unnoticed.

In the stillness of his office he couldn't get his mind off of the fact that Emily said that Elizabeth seemed distracted to her, nor could he stop worrying about her being all alone in the Malucci mansion. That thought ate away at him. Jason didn't care how much Elizabeth professed that she could handle Anthony – he knew better. He knew that the only way to handle Anthony was to neutralize him, something that Jason had been silently working on no matter what his father's wishes were. Anthony may have thought he was the only one with a winning hand in this high stakes poker game, but Jason had a few tricks of his own up his sleeve yet.

The shrill ringing of his cell phone drew Jason's eyes to the device that sat in his open briefcase on the corner of his desk. "Morgan," he said into the mouthpiece.

"Boss... ..." Johnny's strained voice made its way through the air waves.

"Johnny?" Jason questioned. The background noise made it difficult for him to hear who was talking to him.

"Yeah boss, it's me."

"Where the hell are you? What's going on? I can barely hear you. Are those sirens in the background?" Jason panicked as the unmistakable sound of the wailing of an ambulance siren in the distance readily caught his attention. Johnny hesitated for a moment not knowing what to say or even how to tell Jason what he had just been witness to. "Johnny???"

"I'm here."

"What the hell's going on?"

"Jason," he paused.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?!" Jason's tone had a bite to it as he tried to cover the fear that was consuming him. The sirens that had previously sounds so distant now blared as if they were directly on top of Johnny.

"There's been an accident... ..."

"OH MY GOD ELIZBETH!!!" Jason felt his mouth go dry.

"And your... ..."

"What hospital?" Jason interrupted him.

"Chicago Memorial, I guess," Johnny answered.

"Don't leave her sight! Do you understand me?!?" Jason ran out the door before he had even heard Johnny's response.

Reggie knew the ambulance bay of Chicago Memorial Hospital was the last place he should be at the moment but a force beyond his control propelled him forward to exactly that spot. He needed to know how seriously Emily Morgan had been injured. Reggie had actually thought about ditching Anthony's idea of tampering with the brakes on the Volvo but his fear of Anthony's wrath had pushed him forward. With each act against the Morgan family his boss orchestrated, Reggie became more and more leery of Anthony's sanity. Anthony was playing well beyond the scope of reason. Reggie was fairly certain that in Anthony's twisted sadistic mind that he was expendable as well. The fear of that expandability and the torture he had seen Anthony exact on others before kept Reggie marching to the tune that Anthony had composed.

Reggie ducked behind a concrete pillar as the next ambulance rolled into the bay. He held his breath as the doors swung open and two uniformed EMTs jumped out. Suddenly a gleeful smile filled Reggie's face. The sight of Emily Morgan exiting the back of the ambulance of her own volition sent a wave of relief crashing over him. He noticed her arm was in some sort of splint but all in all she appeared unharmed. As quickly as that joyous smiled appeared on Reggie's face that was how fast it faded. What he saw next was something he never expected to see and it certainly wasn't part of Anthony's plan. Reggie's eyes were fixated on the stretcher that was being pulled from the back of the ambulance. There was Elizabeth Malucci, Anthony's wife, lying unconscious.

Jason weaved his Porsche through the heavy evening traffic. His mind was flooded by the background noise of his conversation with Johnny. The shrill sound of the ambulance siren still pierced Jason's ears as a cold shiver passed through his body. The mere thought that something had happened to Elizabeth had him breaking out into a cold sweat. It was like his worst nightmare had finally come true. Jason gripped the steering wheel hard enough for his knuckles to turn white under the pressure as images of Anthony and the horrors Jason wanted to inflict on him danced before his eyes.

"Can I help you?" a young woman in surgical scrubs asked as Jason tore around the emergency department.

"I need to find a ... ..." Jason hesitated unsure of what he was supposed to call Elizabeth. He had to keep his haphazard thoughts under control. There wasn't any room in this situation to make matter worse.

"You need to find who?" the woman questioned.

"A friend of mine was in an accident. I think that she was brought to this ER."

"What's her name?"

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth Malucci," Jason held his breath half expecting the walls to crumble around him at the sound of her name.

"Well, if you check with the admitting desk, I am sure that someone will be able to assist you."

"Thank you," Jason said as he began to make his way to the desk the woman had mentioned, but then thought better of the idea. He knew he couldn't afford to draw more attention to himself. His inner struggle began all over again. Head and heart were engaging in their war games once more, with each one expecting full recognition of its point of view. Jason shook his head to momentarily put a stop to the voices locked in combat. No matter what side of this ongoing battle won, right now all Jason was able to focus on was finding Elizabeth. He began his pursuit of her by pacing the corridors of the ER in the hope that she would magically appear unharmed.

Elizabeth could hear the commotion taking place around her. All the voices and noises were disjointed at best. The only thing that stood out was the glaring white light high above her and the constant throbbing in her head.

"Miss, miss can you hear me?" A soft voice prodded her to open her eyes.

"Um," she groaned in return.

"Doctor," the voice grew louder in Elizabeth's ears, "she's semi-conscious."

"Mrs. Malucci, can you open your eyes? Can you hear me?" The doctor came closer as he began assessing her vitals.

"My head," Elizabeth answered weakly as she brought her hand to her forehead.

"Easy, we need you to just lie back," the man ordered when she attempted to bring her body to a sitting position.

"What happened?" she questioned.

"You were in a car accident."

Those words brought the memory of Emily's car plowing into a fire hydrant flooding back to her. "Emily? How's Emily?" Elizabeth asked frantically.

"Your friend is fine. She has a sprained wrist."

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. "Can I see her, please?" Again Elizabeth tried to sit up.

"As soon as I have assessed your injuries. You have a sizable bump on your head. I would like to have a CT scan performed just to rule out any serious head trauma. Would you like one of the nurses to call your husband?"

"Elizabeth!!" Jason's urgent voice filled the cubicle.

"Jason," Elizabeth's face lit up at the sight of Jason standing in the doorway.

"Apparently that call won't be necessary," the doctor said as he watched the man he assumed to be Elizabeth's husband come forward and embrace her tightly. "I need to schedule the CT scan... ..."

"CT SCAN?!?!" Jason's voice shot up an octave.

"It's only a precaution. I just would like to rule out any complications. I am sure the only thing we will find out is that your wife has a pretty nasty concussion. Relax," the doctor smiled, "I will leave you two alone for a few minutes."

Jason buried his face in Elizabeth's thick chestnut locks. The relief he felt at finding her basically unharmed brought forth a flash flood of pent up tears. Elizabeth reveled in his tight embrace. "I can't believe you are here," she cried as her own tears threatened to choke her.

"Where else would I be?" Jason pulled back and smiled at her, momentarily letting his heart rule his head.

"But... ...with Anth....."

"Shhh," Jason easily brought his lips to hers as a way to silence the word he knew she was about to say. Right now he didn't want to, nor could he, focus on Anthony. Jason knew that Anthony Malucci would have to be dealt with, but right now he wasn't about to let anything come between him and Elizabeth. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine now," Elizabeth pulled his body closer to hers never intending on letting him go.

"No seriously, you look like you are in pain." Jason's eyes filled with worry.

"My head is killing me, but really I think I'm okay." She gently squeezed his hand as reassurance.

"Come on lie back then," Jason urged. "The doctor said you need to rest."

"I'm afraid if I close my eyes... ... when I open them you will be gone," she stammered.

Jason looked away as he thought back to the numerous occasions he had done that very thing to her. He then focused on her beautiful face thankful that Anthony's attempt to harm her hadn't been successful. Secure in her safety, Jason was not thrown back into his ever-present struggle on what to do next. He couldn't leave Elizabeth to fend for herself again. It was obvious that his having her tailed had done little to stop Anthony and his own guilt for the horrors his family had already suffered at Anthony's hand gnawed away at Jason too.

"You shouldn't be worrying about anything right now except resting," Jason laid his hand on her arm in a small attempt to reassure her of his presence.

"Jason?" Elizabeth sounded like a timid child as her large sapphire eyes looked up at him.

"Yes?"

"I love you," she said effortlessly. Jason's arrival illustrated to her that he was returning to her life. That thought made it so simple to let her emotions for him spill forth. Jason yearned to be able to utter those three tiny words back to her. His heart was bursting with them. "Jason??" Elizabeth's voice urged him to return her affections.

"You just rest now." He avoided her statement. He pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat beside her. His love for Elizabeth and his loyalty to his family clashed inside of him.

"Jason!?" He heard the annoyance he knew so well creep into her voice.

"Yes?"

"Please, please don't pull away from me again. I know you love me. You can't deny your feelings. Besides, they are written all over your face. I love you, Jason!" Elizabeth pushed her body closer to his.

"Elizabeth, please sit back!"

"Not until you tell me why you are here! If you no longer have feelings for me, why would you have come bursting into the room? TELL ME, WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT IF IT WASN'T ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS FOR ME!!!" Elizabeth's voice boomed, as she finally was able to raise her body to a full sitting position. "How did you even know about the accident anyway?" she questioned.

"I have my ways." Jason tried to sound detached.

"What? You are having me followed too??" Elizabeth gasped as she reached for the bed rail to steady herself.

"ELIZABETH!?!?" Jason shouted as he watched her sway before his eyes. "Please, would you just relax? You need to save your strength," he stated as he assisted her in laying back.

Desperate, Elizabeth held tightly to Jason's jacket unable to hold back the torrents of tears escaping her eyes. "Jason," she sobbed. He remaining words were lost in her cries. Instinctively Jason's arms enveloped her. The sound of her cries was more than he could bear. Emotions that carried the force of a tidal wave crashed against his resolve. The idea that he could have very well lost her forced him to take leave of every one of his logical, reasonable senses.

"I do love you, Elizabeth," Jason whispered softly into her ears as he cradled her. The war of wills had finally ended. His heart was the victor.

Elizabeth pulled back to meet his eyes. "Say it again," she urged.

"I love you," he smiled softly as he complied with her request.

"I'm glad you are here." Elizabeth nestled her head against Jason's chest.

"There's no place I would rather be." He had lost all pretenses now. The admission of his love for her had changed everything all over again. "Would you please rest now?" Jason half laughed as he thought how stubborn she was and just how much he loved every inch of her.

"Have you seen Emily yet?"

"Emily?" Jason gave her a quizzical look.

"Yes. She was in the car with me."

"WHAT?!?"

"Jason, Emily was driving."

Jason felt the blood drain from his face with those words. "Do you know if she's all right?" he asked his voice barely audible.

"I think so. They told me she has a sprained wrist."

"Thank god! How did this happen?" he finally questioned.

"We were busy talking when all of the sudden the traffic in front of us just stopped. Emily tried to slam on the brakes but nothing happened Jason. I don't know how she held her cool. I certainly was panicked... ...."

"So you slammed into the stopped traffic?" Jason's eyes searched Elizabeth's for an answer.

"No, we hit a fire hydrant. Emily took the car up onto the curb to avoid all the other cars."

"Smart thinking."

"Well at the time I didn't know what the hell she was doing, but apparently it worked."

"Her brakes failed? Is that what you think happened?" Jason questioned as the wheels in his brain began to turn with record speed.

"I am no mechanic, but I can tell you this much. They certainly weren't working," Elizabeth stated.

Jason ran his hand over his race as he tried to collect his thoughts. The Morgan family fleet of vehicles was impeccably serviced. Something like a faulty brake line would never have been missed.

"Jason?"

"Hummmm?" he mumbled turning his attention back to Elizabeth.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing," he lied. "Would you mind if I went to check on Emily?"

"Jason, what's going on in that head of yours?" Elizabeth eyed him cautiously.

"Nothing," he lied again.

"You think Anthony is responsible, don't you?" Elizabeth felt the panic rising in her voice.

"I have my theories," Jason offered yet didn't actually answer the question directly.

"Jason," his name caught in her throat," I can't lose you again." Tears blurred Elizabeth's vision as thoughts of Jason walking away from her again consumed her.

"You won't. I'm not ever letting go of you. That I can promise you. You rest while I go check on Emily." Jason smiled at her his own tears hung dangerously on his thick lashes. "I won't be long, I promise."

As Jason left Elizabeth's cubicle, his eyes made direct contact with Johnny. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!?!" he barked as he began Johnny down the corridor away from where Elizabeth lay resting. Johnny was speechless for a second. The words that Jason wanted to hear evaded him. "You were supposed to be looking out for her! Where the hell were you when all this was going down?!?" Jason huffed as his blood boiled in his veins.

"I was watching her!" Johnny shot back.

"Oh really!?!?! Then how the hell did she end up in a car accident?!?" Jason restrained the urge to dispose of the incompetent standing before him.

Reggie slipped behind the wall that separated him from the angry altercation that Jason was engaged in with one of his soldiers.

"What did you want me to do?"

"You were supposed to make sure that nothing, I meant NOTHING happened to her! Why the hell was she in that cubicle all alone!?!"

"Do you hear yourself, man? What? Was I supposed to muscle my way into her exam-room?!" Johnny countered with his own angry voice. "I'm not Elizabeth Malucci's fucking baby-sitter!"

Reggie's ears perked up at the sound of Anthony's wife's name. Suddenly his take on Jason Morgan's anger changed.

"YOU ARE WHATEVER I TELL YOU YOU ARE!!" Jason shouted.

"Get a grip Jason!" Johnny said with no intention of backing down this time.

"What?!? What did you say to me?" Jason clenched his jaw.

"You are losing it, Jason. It's time to cut your losses and move on don't you think? I mean I know the Malucci broad is a looker... ..."

Without warning Jason threw Johnny hard into the concrete wall behind them. "YOU WILL TREAT ELIZABETH WITH RESPECT!! If I ever hear you refer to her as anything but the lady she is again... ..." Jason's voice trailed off as his eyes darted to those people suddenly gathered around them.

Johnny adjusted his jacket as his piercing eyes rested on Jason. Boss or not, Johnny knew that Jason had lost all sense of the control he once possessed. "Will there be anything else?" Johnny asked curtly.

"No, I will handle things from here on out," Jason countered harshly. "Just be sure that the family knows Emily is safe and that I will be bringing her home."

Reggie watched as the two angry men parted company. While he had originally assumed that Jason Morgan had been there to see his sister, it was obvious to Reggie now that things weren't always what they seemed to be. Finally he had a crystal clear picture of what was really driving Anthony Malucci in his pursuit of the Morgan Clan, and Reggie wanted no part of it. He had been a freelancer for many of the families in the inner circle for a long time now and had been party to schemes like this before. Reggie knew none of their outcomes had ever been good. The last thing he wanted for himself was to be caught inside a lover's triangle.

There was just one snag that kept him from walking away from Anthony's plan and that was that the final leg of it had already been set in motion. Tomorrow was to be Anthony's day of glory. Reggie recalled how animated Anthony had been as he described each and every detail of his final assault. It was almost sadistic in nature. Reggie watched Jason's form as it got further away from him. He contemplated how to thwart Anthony's well-orchestrated plan and still come out of this whole thing unscathed himself. He was certain that, no matter which side of the fence he was one, it would be the losing one. With that in mind, he decided for once to let his conscience reign supreme.

"Apparently you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, my dear."

Elizabeth opened her eyes to see her husband standing over her.


	36. Chapter 35

As Jason walked away from his heated conversation with Johnny, he was unable to shake the foreboding feeling that hung over him. With a quick glance, he looked back to where he had just been expecting to see some menacing force nipping at his heels.

"Emily," he said as he caught sight of his sister.

"Jason?" Her confusion about his presence at the hospital was apparent. "What are you doing here?" she questioned.

"Johnny called me."

"Johnny?" Emily stared at Jason curiously. "Why would Johnny call you?" How could he have known... ..."

"Never mind that," he brushed off her inquiries. "How are you?" He reached out to gently touch her arm that was wrapped in an ace bandage.

"I'm fine. Nothing is broken. It's merely a sprain. I jammed my wrist on impact, but the doctor says I should be good as new in a few days. How's Elizabeth? I couldn't get anyone to tell me anything about her condition."

"How did the accident happen?" Jason asked avoiding any conversation that even remotely included Elizabeth Malucci.

"How does any accident happen?" Emily countered.

"I want to know every detail of what went on before you were forced to slam your car into the fire hydrant."

"Jason, what's going on?" Emily asked. Her brother's insistence had peaked her curiosity.

"Emily please," he sighed. The events of the previous days had worn his nerves to a frazzle.

"Okay," she relented for the moment. "There's really not much to tell. The brakes on the car weren't working. I tried a few tricks that Papa taught me, but they didn't help much either. So, I decided that taking the car up onto the curb and into that hydrant was a better alternative."

"Better than what?"

"It was better than rear ending the line of cars that were already stopped on the street."

"Cars stopped on the street?" Jason asked.

"Yes," she winced. As much as Emily hated to admit it, the pain in her wrist was beginning to get the better of her and Jason's rapid questions weren't making things any easier.

"Why were they stopped in front of you?"

"Like I know, Jason!" Emily shot back angrily. "What's going on with you? It was nothing more than an accident."

"You mean like that accident the claimed the life of AJ's child, or how about the near miss that Mama and Papa had the night they went to the theater? You don't find it just a little strange that in the span of about a week, three members of this family had met with some unfortunate accident?" Jason scoffed at how naïve his sister was suddenly being. "Let's not forget also that all of our cars are serviced on a regular basis. If there had been something wrong with your brakes, then that problem would have been taken care of right away." Jason covered his face with his hands and collected his ragged thoughts. He had divulged more about this situation than he had intended to, but the barrage of actions that had been predicated against his family had Jason dizzy.

Emily closed her eyes and expelled a labored sigh. She didn't want to believe what Jason was suggesting but in her heart she knew it to be the truth. "So, what do you think is really going on?"

"I believe that we are being attacked."

"What are you and Papa planning on doing about it?" Emily asked bluntly more like the intuitive sister Jason knew her to be.

"I have no idea what Papa has in mind – but as for me, I plan on lopping off the head of the beast before he comes after us again!"

"Just who is the beast you are talking about?" Emily asked knowing full well the answer to her question.

"You don't need to be concerned with that," Jason countered as he looked down the long corridor. His mind suddenly focused on what Anthony's demise would mean, both for Elizabeth and himself. Jason knew the rules of the game well. He knew that in the eyes of the other families, the crimes against the Morgan family would appear to be warranted given the fact that Jason was sleeping with Anthony's wife. He would still come out the loser, even in the victory of ridding himself of his rival and he would lose Elizabeth as well. Jason clenched his jaw as he attempted to hold back the fury that filled him.

"Jason?" Emily touched his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"How is Elizabeth? I know that she was unconscious in the ambulance. Is she all right?" Emily asked.

"I believe so."

"Then you have seen her?" Jason looked away from his sister's all knowing eyes. "Jason?" she prodded again.

"Yes, I've seen Elizabeth," he said as he let out an exasperated sigh.

"I knew you still were in love with her. You weren't about to fool me with that act of yours." Emily almost gloated.

"Of course I care about her. For god sakes look at the monster she is married to," Jason argued. He was unable to admit the love he held for Elizabeth into the open spaces that surrounded him.

"Jason," Emily stroked his face softly. "it's okay to love her." He nearly snorted at that thought. It was far from okay but love Elizabeth he did. No matter how hard he tried, there wasn't a damn thing he could do to squash his feelings for her. "I have to go to the hospital pharmacy to get this prescription filled. Why don't you go check on her for me while I am gone, please?" Emily knew that her request would give Jason the opening he needed to see Elizabeth again.

"I don't think... ..."

"Please, I was the one driving the car. I need to be sure that she is all right."

"Emily,"

Jason," she returned his irritated tone with one of her own.

"Fine," he grumbled as he made his way back to Elizabeth's room.

Anthony stood in the hallway and watched his wife through the thin glass strip in the door. His body was filled with a myriad of emotions that he hadn't expected to feel. While Elizabeth had always been a means to an end for him, he couldn't deny that he loved her in the deepest recesses of his soul. The instant that he had received the call that she had been involved in some sort of accident, his heart nearly had leapt out of his chest. There was a panic that had raced through his body and the sensation was so foreign to him that he had needed to sit back and catch his breath. As he now stood outside of her room watching her resting comfortably he tried to reconcile his rush of emotions toward her as more anger than love. It angered him that if something had happened to her he would have lost the leverage he had over her. That leverage would provide Anthony with all the ammunition he needed to irradiate his enemy.

"I see you have learned the consequences of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, my dear," Anthony sneered as he pushed open the swinging door that stood between them.

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth tried to hide the panic that crept into her voice. She knew that Jason was wandering around the halls of the Emergency Department. The last thing any of them needed right now was a confrontation.

"My wife has been in a car accident. Where else would you expect me to be but by her side?" he said with mock concern.

"YEAH RIGHT!" she barked. "Are you sure that you just aren't here to see the fruits of your labor?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know that you were behind this," Elizabeth said without a trace of fear in her voice. It was as if Jason's admission of his love for her had brought her strength from within.

"I think that bump on your head has scrambled your brain, Elizabeth."

Jason stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes rested on the sight of Anthony's form towering over Elizabeth. He clenched his fists at his sides and gathered his senses. Jason's first reaction was to burst into the room, scoop Elizabeth up in his arms and whisk her as far away from Anthony as he could get her. However, he knew that scenario wasn't an option at all, as he assembled what little control he still wielded over his emotions and stepped into the room. "Oh excuse me," Jason feigned surprise at not finding Elizabeth alone. Anthony's gaze was drawn to the sound of Jason's voice. He cocked his head and gave Jason a quizzical look. "I'm sorry," Jason swallowed hard around those words as they choked him. "Emily asked that I check on Elizabeth and make sure she was all right."

"She's fine!" Anthony answered gruffly. "No thanks to your sister's inability to drive." Anthony had just baited the hook.

"It wasn't Emily's fault," Elizabeth interjected sensing where her husband and his snide remarks were headed.

"Well then, I will let Emily know that you are fine," Jason answered. He couldn't exit the room fast enough. He wasn't about to let Anthony draw him into an inevitable confrontation.

"Seems like the Morgans are having a run of bad luck wouldn't you say?" Anthony smiled as his remark stopped Jason dead.

"Bad luck?" he echoed.

"Yes, bad luck."

"You know as well as I do that bad luck has nothing to do with it!" Jason growled.

"What could it be then? I certainly know how respected and revered the Morgan family is within the organization. No one would ever think to cross you or Joseph for that matter."" Anthony's ego was getting the better of him at the moment. He needed recognition for the pain he had inflicted on Jason and his family.

"You don't think?" Jason cocked his brow never once taking his eyes off his adversary.

"My father asked that I offer my family's condolences for AJ's loss. It was such a tragedy," Anthony jeered.

"Anthony... ..." Elizabeth reached out and grabbed for her husband. She could see the fury building within Jason. He was about to blow at any second.

"What?" He turned to look at her.

"I am sure that Jason doesn't care to relive the incident."

Anthony was amused by Elizabeth's need to come to her lover's defense. "Maybe you are right, Elizabeth. I am sorry though."

"Sorry that you killed AJ's child instead of killing AJ!?!" Jason's anger now erupted from the volcano that he could no longer contain.

"WHAT??"

"Do you really think that I am as stupid as my father? Do you really think that some backward concept of loyalty is going to stop me from seeing what's really going on here?!?" Jason knew he was tipping his hand but the smug arrogance that Anthony was displaying caused Jason to take leave of his senses. "It's been you! All of this! Everything! You have been responsible for it all!!"

"Why would I put my own wife in danger? Please tell me why would I hurt her?" Anthony shot back at Jason's well founded accusations.

"WHY!?!" Jason let loose with his own sadistic laugh. "The answer is simple. In the pursuit of what you want, everyone and everything is expendable!"

"Well my my...and here I thought you and I had learned from a different set of books. I see you are capable of ruthless thinking. What a surprise," Anthony cackled as he enjoyed watching Jason Morgan coming apart at the seams.

"I am NOTHING like you!" Jason shot back. "I would never use those people closest to me as pawns. I would never endanger an unborn child for some dream of vengeance... ..."

"I didn't do any of those things either, Jason." Anthony stood with a smug smile on his face. It was a smile that Jason would have given anything to remove right then. He didn't give a damn about what Joseph wanted. All Jason wanted, all he needed at the moment was to be able to commit his own act of vengeance. Suddenly like a lighting bolt hitting the ground, Jason saw Anthony in himself. The bloodlust and the desire for revenge that he felt coursing through his veins were the very same emotions that were propelling Anthony through his own agenda. That thought sickened Jason. "I will let Emily know that Elizabeth is fine," he said as though he had turned off his anger by simply flipping a switch.

"NO wait!" Elizabeth called. The thought of Jason walking away leaving her alone to fend for herself against Anthony had her terrified.

"You want him to wait?" Anthony questioned shocked by her boldness.

"Yes. I would like to see Emily. I thought that Jason could take me to her." Jason's eyes widened at Elizabeth's words. He had already crossed over the line and didn't need her to be doing the same thing.

"I will take you to see Emily – if you really must see her," Anthony added sarcastically. Elizabeth's expression pleaded with Jason for him to rescue her but he did nothing except stand there in silence. "Fine let's go then."

Elizabeth pushed her body from the bed. The room spun beneath her as her feet touched the ground and Jason found himself watching her sway back and forth. He reached for her without a single thought and his hands crashed with Anthony's fingers as Elizabeth's husband also made a dash for his wife. The two men then backed away from each other as if their skin had been seared by a branding iron. "Elizabeth?" Jason did not even attempt to cover the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," she offered as Anthony's hands steadied her. "I would like to go see Emily now." Elizabeth seemed to give little thought to the idea that she had nearly fainted. It was as though it was merely something to be ignored.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Anthony quickly donned the cloak of concerned husband. "Are you sure that everything is fine with your head?"

"She has a concussion," Jason blurted out without thinking.

"Oh really? And how might you know that?" Anthony questioned. He was curious to see how Jason intended on navigating this slip up.

"I overheard one of the doctors while I was waiting to see Emily. He wanted to schedule a CT scan for Elizabeth."

'_Nice save Morgan,_' Vincent thought to himself. What did he care? In a day or so, it wouldn't matter what Jason Morgan did or didn't know about his wife. "You most definitely aren't going anywhere then," Anthony said with fake worry.

"I want to see Emily!" Elizabeth stressed trying to stand again.

"You aren't going anywhere until the doctors have assured me that you aren't in any danger," Anthony stated.

Jason did all he could not to roll his eyes at that statement. "Anthony's right." Jason couldn't believe he heard those words coming from his mouth, but they came none the less. "You need to take care of yourself first. The Coronary Care Benefit is tomorrow and you and Emily are in charge, so maybe it's better that you get some rest." Jason suppressed a smile that threatened to expose his inner feelings for Elizabeth.

"I will be sure that my _wife,_" Anthony stressed the word as if Elizabeth was a possession, "gets everything that she needs."

Jason bit his tongue hard enough to taste his own blood. He sensed the double meaning that Anthony's statement held and he tried to reign in his own fears so that he would be able to leave Elizabeth's exam room.

"I will see you tomorrow evening," Jason finally said.

"Maybe, maybe not," Anthony answered cryptically.

"What?" Jason turned around.

"Our attendance at the benefit will depend on how Elizabeth is feeling."

"Of course," Jason concurred, all the while feeling that there was more to Anthony's words than met the eye.


	37. Chapter 36

Jason closed the passenger door of his Porsche and hoped to drown out his sister's onslaught of questions about Elizabeth. His mind continued to race with thoughts of Anthony's obscure remarks. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't rid himself of the ominous feeling that Anthony had been able to conjure up in the hospital. The idea of pulling away from the emergency room entrance without Elizabeth had nearly frozen Jason in place. All sense of reason and logic evaded him at the moment and what had taken center stage in his mind's eye was the look Elizabeth had on her face as he made his way from her room. He felt the lump in his throat grow as her eyes glistened with tears he knew she wasn't able to shed. Jason closed his eyes and pushed back tears of his own.

"I need you to do me a favor," Emily spoke as Jason positioned himself behind the wheel of the car.

"I thought I had already done my favor for the day." Jason rolled his eyes and imagined what his dear baby sister had in store for him next.

"You never did answer me before, Jason. How is Elizabeth?"

"What do you want me to do?" he asked obviously ignoring Emily's question.

"I would like it if you answered me. Is Elizabeth going to be all right?" Emily replied. She was determined not to let her brother off the hook.

"She's fine."

"Just fine?"

"What more do you want me to say?" Jason nearly shouted.

"Jason," Emily rested her hand on his. "I know you are worried about her, but... ..."

"Please drop this Emily. Just leave it alone. What's the favor you need me to do for you?"

Emily knew from the expression on Jason's face that she shouldn't push the issue. That look frightened her in a way that she hadn't been aware of until now. She knew that Anthony had been treading on thin ice with her family, especially Jason, for months now, but with this accident he seemed to have crossed over a line that Emily wasn't sure that he would return from. She was afraid that Elizabeth's husband had taken Jason with him as well.

"Emily," Jason's irritated voice disturbed her private thoughts.

"Huh?"

"This favor, what is it?"

"I need you to get my briefcase out of my car. The EMTs wouldn't let me go get it."

"Your briefcase?"

"Yes. It has all of the seating charts and the caterer's menu in it. I need it for tomorrow night, or Elizabeth and I will be completely flying blind at the benefit."

"Who says either of you will be up to attending the benefit?"

"Jason, is there something more seriously wrong with Elizabeth than what you have told me?" Emily's voice filled with guarded panic.

"No, no it's not that. I just mean that a full blown evening might be too much for you both."

"That doesn't make much difference, Jason. We are the chairpersons of the event. We need to be there, so could you please go to wherever my car was taken and get my briefcase for me?" Emily was relentless in her pursuit.

Jason ran his hands through his blonde spiked hair and thought about how much Elizabeth and his sister were alike. It was obvious to see how a friendship had blossomed between the two women. "Yes," he sighed.

Jason wound his way through the impound lot at the police station until he came upon the designated row where Emily's mangled Volvo could be found. "It should be in the back seat," she offered as Jason got out of the driver's seat of his own car.

He came upon his sister's silver Volvo as it sat in the middle of the line of cars. He was taken aback by the crinkled mass of metal that he found in front of him. There was a deep "V" in the front fender from where it had made contact with the hard surface of the fire hydrant. The hood was buckled high in the air and the windshield was a mass of splinters held together by the modern technology of safety glass. However, the image that held Jason captive though wasn't the destruction of the car itself, but the faint hint of blood he saw traced around the passenger side window. It was Elizabeth's blood.

Jason clenched his jaw and tried in vain to stop the tears that stung his piercing blue eyes. His mind played horrible tricks on him as he imagined just how badly both Elizabeth and Emily could have been hurt. He pressed forward in his pursuit of the brown leather briefcase that was perched on the back seat of the Volvo. The rear door opened with a loud gnashing of metal against metal as pieces of the car scraped against one another. Jason knew that it was only his imagination but he felt as if Elizabeth's scent still hung in the stale air that was around him. He saw her linen suit jacket draped on the floor and clutched the familiar beige material tightly in his hands burying his face within its soft folds. Jason's body then dropped against the seat without warning as a torrent of tears took hold of him. "This game of cat and mouse is over!" Jason said with more determination than he knew he possessed. "IT'S OVER!!!"

Emily watched as Jason handed her the briefcase and then climbed behind the wheel of his car again. There was no mistaking that he had been crying, yet she remained silent as they rode home.

Joseph and Cassandra rushed to the door like anxious children when Jason and Emily entered the foyer of the Morgan mansion. "Oh my baby," Cassandra cried as she hugged her only daughter tightly.

"Nice of you to have Johnny give us so little information to go on," Joseph barked with an angry tone as he stared coldly in Jason's direction.

Jason thought about speaking but decided against it. He knew that he had been wrong in the way that he had chosen to handle Emily's accident. He lost all sense of reason when it came to anything that even remotely concerned Elizabeth Malucci however he wasn't quite ready to admit that to his father.

"Do you have anything to say about the poor way in which you handled this situation?" Joseph questioned.

"I do apologize for not calling you directly," Jason offered. "All of my thoughts were about making sure Emily was safe. I wasn't thinking. I am sorry that Johnny's vague explanation worried you both," he said as he turned to his mother as well.

"It seems to me you haven't been thinking for quite some time now!" Joseph growled.

"Emily, dear, let's get you upstairs to your room. I am sure you could use some peace and quiet after all of this," Cassandra said as she eyed her son and husband with a very cross-pointed look.

"I think that Emily should stay right here for now," Joseph instructed.

"What on earth for?" Cassandra demanded.

"I need to be brought up to speed on exactly how this accident happened," Joseph answered.

"Can't that wait until later?" his wife asked.

"No."

"Papa, I have already discussed the accident with Emily. Maybe it is better if she rests. I can fill you in on the details," Jason stated.

"Thank you, but I would like to hear from your sister," the elder Morgan said. "I am sure it will only take a few minutes to ask my questions. Emily... ..."

"Yes, Papa?"

"What caused the accident?"

"My brakes gave out."

"That's impossible!!"

"Not really, since that's what happened," Emily plainly replied. "For some reason or another, there was a traffic jam on the street. I tried to stop my car, but nothing happened when I hit the brakes."

"Where were you this afternoon before the accident?" Joseph asked as he made his way into the dining room in search of a stiff drink.

"I was at the Chicago Botanic Garden working on the final details for the benefit tomorrow. Why?"

"Did anything look out of the ordinary to you when you were there? Did you see anyone who looked suspicious... ..."

"Joseph that's quite enough don't you think?" Cassandra interrupted him. "Can't you see the pain that your daughter is in? This inquisition will have to wait. I am taking her upstairs now!"

Cassandra was as protective of her children as a mother tiger and Joseph knew this wasn't a battle he was about to win. He crossed the room to stand by his youngest child. "You rest." He kissed Emily's cheek gently. "But if anything comes to mind, you

let me know. Understand?"

"Yes, Papa." Emily looked across the room at her brother. The two siblings exchanged glances, aware that if anyone were to tell Joseph what they knew, it would be Jason.

Both men stood in silence after Cassandra and Emily left the room. Joseph downed his first shot of liquid comfort and sought another one from the crystal decanter that sat on the cherry sideboard. "It's impossible that Emily's brakes would fail... ..." Joseph said quietly.

"What?" Jason asked.

"I have been having our cars checked daily, often double checked. There is no way there could have been anything wrong with the braking system on Emily's car."

"What did you say, Papa?" Jason asked again.

"Nothing," Joseph said pouring a healthy dose of vodka into his glass.

Jason watched as his father pensively paced the four corners of the room. He steeled himself for the inevitable confrontation that he knew would begin if he expressed his concerns regarding Anthony's role in this latest attack on their family. Jason was now even more certain that Anthony was behind everything. The way he had baited Jason that afternoon in Elizabeth's hospital room proved it in spades and the task was now to get Joseph to see that as well. "I'm sorry that I didn't call you and Mama myself to tell you about the accident," Jason began off on an apologetic note. Joseph turned and eyed his son carefully but didn't say a word. "I think there are some things that you should know, Papa."

"What kind of things are you talking about?" Joseph responded.

"Elizabeth was with Emily today. She was also involved in the accident." Jason waited for his father's thunderous reaction.

"I see. Well, that certainly explains a great deal. Now I know why your mother and I were handed some note and treated like two insignificant parties in all of this."

"That's not true at all."

"From where I sit it's very true, Jason. You have lost all sense of logic and understanding of the way things are to work in this business. I really am not surprised that your family was the last thing on your mind today.

Jason now went to the sideboard himself and poured his own glass of vodka. He was certain that he was going to need it. "I am sorry that you feel that way. You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. I am loyal to this family. I am sorry that I suddenly don't fit the cookie cutter vision you've had for me, but I am still your son and a loyal son at that," Jason stated solemnly.

"Up until now."

"Why is it that you continue to question my loyalty to this family? I am the only one who's still here. I am the one son who didn't snub my nose at you or issue ultimatums, yet suddenly that matters so little to you. I have been a loyal soldier in your army since before I even knew there was an army to lead! That has to count for something, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Joseph whispered.

"So why is it suddenly not enough?"

"You know why."

"Are you referring to Elizabeth Malucci?"

"Yes."

"Well you know what, Papa? Like it or not I love her! I have tried to deny it. I have tried to push her away but some power beyond my control forces us together over and over again. I can't do a damn thing to stop it! God knows I have tried."

Joseph watched his son and for the first time really saw the man he had grown to be. In many ways Jason was a carbon copy of his father. He was fiercely loyal, cunning and ruthless when he needed to be but there was a soft side of him that could be brought about by the love of the right woman. Joseph was just having trouble with the image of the woman whom Jason thought was right for him. "I am sure you have tried," Joseph agreed, leaving Jason stunned by this concession. "For all of your trying, however, you have still ended up in bed with another man's wife. That's not something I am prepared to accept."

"Even if the other man is a monster who is willing to sacrifice his own wife in an attempt to get what he wants?" Jason questioned.

"Son, you want me to see this as some sort of gray area and well, frankly I can't do that. It's a black and white issue for me. I can't let you justify what you are doing with Elizabeth as something that is acceptable just because Anthony is who he is. I can't imagine that Elizabeth didn't have some clue as to the kind of man she was marrying when she entered into her union with Anthony."

"That's just it. She didn't have a clue. Anthony played her. He played his role so well that when Elizabeth finally saw his true colors, it was too late for her to do anything about it."

Joseph recalled a similar conversation he had had with Rocco about how not all Mafia marriages were as good as the one Joseph and Cassandra shared. "What are you trying to say Jason? You can't expect me to sanction action against Anthony just so that you will be able to scoop up his wife in the process."

"That's not what I am saying at all!" Jason shouted.

"Then what do you expect to happen from all of this? You certainly know that the other families will never back us if they see this as a means to an end for you... ..."

"They don't have a choice but to back us!"

"Why do you think that?" Joseph questioned.

"You and I both know that we have enough on the others to keep them in line. We could squash them all if we really wanted to... ..."

"You know I don't play games like that Jason," Joseph countered.

"But we could."

"Yes, we could and it could backfire on us. We could end up in a bigger war than the one we are in right now. In my mind, that's not an acceptable risk."

"So what, am I just expected to leave Elizabeth at Anthony's mercy?" Jason gasped.

"Unfortunately, yes that may be your only choice."

"Well in MY mind, that's NOT an acceptable risk!" Jason shouted sarcastically.

"Jason, please... ..."

"Please what?"

"We need to begin working together rather than against one another."

"I have been saying that all along," Jason said with exasperation.

"While I don't agree with you, I do understand that you love Elizabeth. Rocco has made his affections for the girl quite clear as well, but Anthony is Rocco's blood and I feel it's necessary that we give him one last opportunity to control things within his own crew."

"WHAT!?!" Jason's rage bounced off the walls. All the progress that he thought he just made was suddenly null and void.

"In good conscious I can't act without first speaking to Rocco. He deserves that much from me."

"WHATEVER, YOU ARE THE BOSS! THIS IS YOUR SHOW TO RUN, SO FUCKING RUN IT!! BUT LET ME WARN YOU NOW!! IF ANY HARM COMES TO ELIZABETH IN ANY WAY, ALL BETS ARE OFF PAPA – ALL BETS ARE OFF!!" Jason yelled as he stormed from the room.

Joseph wondered to himself why he hadn't just told the truth? Why hadn't he just said that Anthony could be taken care of without another thought? For some reason, Joseph had stuck to his original line of defense. He pondered that thought as he picked up the phone to call Rocco. "Malucci residence." A voice traveled through the wire to meet Joseph's ear.

"Mr. Malucci, please," Joseph stated.

"One moment," the young woman answered.

Joseph leaned back against the supple leather of his chair and waited for Rocco. "Malucci here," Rocco said.

"Rocco, Joseph."

"Hello Joseph. How are you this evening?"

"I've been better."

Rocco heard the strain that filled his friend's voice. Anthony had caused that strain and that thought sickened Rocco. "I was sorry to hear of AJ and Courtney's loss."

"Thank you."

"I know how excited you and Cassandra were at the thought of becoming grandparents for the first time. I am truly sorry," Rocco stressed.

"Well, this conversation is at my daughter's request. Emily asked that I check on Elizabeth and see how she is feeling," Joseph lied.

"How Elizabeth is feeling?" Rocco was puzzled. "What do you mean? She's fine. Why do you ask?"

"You haven't heard about what happened?"

"Heard what?" Rocco's questions continued.

"Emily and Elizabeth had a small accident this afternoon... ..."

"WHAT?!?!" Rocco's voice resonated throughout his study.

"There was some sort of problem with the braking system on Emily's Volvo. Luckily neither girl was seriously injured. However, Emily was still concerned about Elizabeth. The doctors said that had a slight concussion."

"How did this accident really happen, Joseph?" Rocco asked rather pointedly. "Excuse me a moment." Rocco pressed his ear to the study door when he heard the booming voice of his son on the other side.

"Mrs. Malucci," Helena gasped as Anthony nearly threw his wife inside the foyer of the Malucci home.

"She's fine!" Anthony growled. "She just needs to rest! Take her up to our room," he ordered.

"I am fine really," Elizabeth said softly as the pounding in her head grew stronger. "Where are you going?" she asked as Anthony made his way out the front door again.

"OUT!"

"Out where?" Elizabeth pressed unable to get the heated confrontation between her husband and Jason out of her mind.

"Just out!"

"Anthony!" Elizabeth called to his retreating back as a sick feeling consumed her. She reached for Helena's arm to steady herself.

"Miss, we should get you upstairs," Helena said as she guided Elizabeth toward the staircase.

"Rocco?" Joseph's voice pulled Rocco's thoughts back to the conversation at hand.

"Um, I'm sorry, Joseph. No I didn't know anything about the accident, but I certainly intend on finding out about it."

"I know all that I need to know, Rocco." Joseph's tone was cryptic in nature and Rocco knew what his friend was really trying to say.

"As do I," he concurred.

"Might I suggest that we meet privately to discuss our options in controlling the uncontrollable?" Rocco understood Joseph's double-edged remark and openly agreed. "My limo will be by before tomorrow's benefit to pick you up. We can talk on the way there."

"That would be fine, Joseph. Elizabeth just came home and I would like to go check in with her. Please tell Emily not to worry. If Elizabeth is feeling up to it, I will have her give your daughter a call."

"I will let Emily know. Until tomorrow then?"

"Yes, tomorrow. Good night Joseph." Rocco placed the receiver in its cradle and let out a heavy sigh. "Anthony, what have you done?" he asked the framed wedding photo of his son and Elizabeth that graced his desk.

Rocco pushed the door to Elizabeth's bedroom open. He watched her sleeping form as he rolled his wheelchair closer to her bed. There was no stopping the tears that made silent tracks down his worn face. "I am so sorry Elizabeth. None of this should be happening to you." Rocco reached out and touched her bare shoulder. "If I wasn't such a feeble old man," he sighed, "I would be better at handling Anthony. You deserve so much more than my son knows how to give." Rocco choked back his tears. "You're too young to be shackled to a man whose sole purpose in life is to cause pain to all those around him. I promise you, Elizabeth, you will always feel the blanket of protection that I can provide. And I assure you that one day soon you will be free of Anthony forever!"

Reggie paced the docks as he waited for Anthony to arrive. He was still thinking about how to circumvent his boss' plan against Jason Morgan, but had yet to come up with any plan he thought would be viable.

"Reggie, my man!" Anthony said as he rounded the corner of one of the many building that surrounded them.

"Anthony."

"Is everything a go at the Morgan warehouse?"

"Uh-huh."

"Some enthusiasm man! It's show time!!" Anthony had a gleeful lilt to his voice.

"Listen man, I'm sorry about your wife being involved in that last accident. I didn't know she would be with Emily Morgan."

"Not a problem. If anything, that made it an even sweeter victory," Anthony sneered.

"Huh?"

"Morgan went through the roof! He was falling all over himself worrying about my wife."

"And that's a good thing?"

"Hell yeah it's a good thing! It will make wiping him from the face of the earth even better than I know it's going to be!"

"About that... ..."

"It's all set right?" Anthony questioned suddenly wary that his associate was still looking for a way to back out of their arrangement.

"Yes."

"Then what's the problem?" Reggie's attitude was quickly ruining Anthony's good mood.

"Nothing."

"Well then smile, boy! After tomorrow, you will be a hell of a rich man!" Anthony cackled as he slapped Reggie on the shoulder.

"Yeah right," Reggie answered with a half smile. He knew that all the money in the world wouldn't save him if Anthony's plan went off without a hitch.


	38. Chapter 37

Elizabeth rolled over to stop the blaring sound of the alarm clock from resonating throughout the room. That simple motion filled her body with pain. With great care, Elizabeth reached out and shut the alarm off. She took a deep breath and did her best to deal with the ache that consumed her body and the pounding in her head. Elizabeth messaged her temples in the hope of staving off her ever-present headache. The action was a mute point at best since even the slightest touch of her fingers caused more agony. "Ugh." Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh as she lifted her body into a sitting position. Instantly a wave of nausea overtook her. "I can't be sick today," she said to herself. She looked around the room. She was both relieved and frightened at the fact that Anthony was nowhere to be found. The last thing she needed at the moment was another run in with her husband, but the prospect of who Anthony was gunning for terrified her even more.

"Mrs. Malucci?" Helena's voice followed a soft knock on the door to Elizabeth's room.

"Come in," Elizabeth instructed as she placed her feet on the soft carpeted floor.

"You have a phone call."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said as she steadied herself.

"Here let me help you," Helena offered. The memory of the awful way Anthony Malucci treated his wife the night before was still fresh in her mind.

"No, I better do this own my own." Helena watched as Elizabeth slowly made her way to where the phone sat.

"If you need anything, please ring for me."

"I'll be fine," Elizabeth smiled weakly. She waited until Helena closed the door behind her before picking up the receiver from its cradle. "Hello."

"Elizabeth." The voice of Jeff Webber caused a frown on her face. She wanted the person on the other end of the line to be Jason. She longed to hear his voice, but more importantly she needed to know that he was alive and well.

"Yes," she returned curtly. Having a conversation with her father was the last thing Elizabeth wanted or needed right now.

"I was hoping to meet with you today."

"For what?"

"I want to be sure that you understand how important tonight's benefit is for me."

"That won't be necessary!"

"I think that it is. Lately you have been a bit of a wild card, and well, I can't afford to have anything go wrong tonight." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she listened. "How about lunch at the country club?"

"I don't think so. I have far too much to do before the benefit. I certainly don't have the time or inclination to have you parading me around for your potential constituents."

"See, this is exactly what I am talking about, Elizabeth. This attitude doesn't do anyone any good... ..."

"Don't you mean it doesn't do you any good?" She cut him off.

"I have explained how important this event is to me... ..."

"So?"

"I expect to see you at the country club by noon," Jeff pressed.

"If I'm not there?" she countered.

"Do you really think that's wise?" Jeff questioned.

Elizabeth let out a heavy breath and dropped her body into the chair adjacent to the desk. The banter between the two of them was getting the better of her. "Fine, I will be there." She finally gave in. She knew that Jeff wasn't about to let go of this and it was far simpler to go along rather than buck the system especially since she wasn't feeling up to par.

"Good." Jeff was pleased with himself. "I will see you at noon then."

"Whatever," Elizabeth said as she hung up the phone before he had a chance to say anymore.

Elizabeth stared at her reflection in the foyer mirror. She did her best to cover the bandage on her forehead with her hair but it still managed to find a way to peak its way through. She looked down at her watch. It was already passed eleven. Getting ready had taken nearly two hours. Between the waves of nausea and the throbbing behind her eyes, Elizabeth wasn't sure if she was ever going to get done.

"Don't you look nice." Anthony's voice startled her.

"What?"

"I said, don't you look nice."

Elizabeth was surprised by the comment. It hadn't a trace of sarcasm. It actually sounded as though her husband truly meant the words. "Thank you," she said more than a little confused.

"Where are you off to?" he asked.

Elizabeth eyed him curiously. She had to stop herself from saying aloud... ..._'Who are you and what have you done with my husband.'_

"Elizabeth?"

"Huh?"

"Are you feeling all right?" Anthony reached out and stroked her cheek. That action was something that he hadn't done in years.

"I'm fine," she said as she pulled back.

"You look a little pale."

"What's going on here?" she finally asked. "What are you up to?"

"Up to?" he echoed.

"Yes. What are you up to Anthony?"

"Why can't I just be concerned about my wife?"

"Concerned?"

"Of course I am concerned about you. You were in a car accident."

"Which you were responsible for!" Elizabeth barked.

"That has yet to be proven." Anthony tried to hide his gleeful smile. The thought of what was scheduled to take place in just over an hour had Anthony as giddy as a schoolgirl. The pictures his mind painted of what was about to happen were intoxicating, so much so, that Anthony couldn't contain his good mood.

"I have all the proof I need."

"Where did you say you were going?" he asked ignoring Elizabeth's pointed remark. In a few hours it wouldn't matter what his wife did or didn't know for he would be in the position to get all that rightfully belonged to him for sometime now.

"I am meeting my father for lunch at the country club."

"I will have the limo brought around for you. I don't think it's a good idea that you be driving with your concussion." Anthony kissed her cheek as he breezed out the door.

Elizabeth was completely taken aback by his behavior. Where had the man that basically threw her into the house last night gone? Where was the husband who could have cared less about her well being?

Jason knocked softly on Emily's door. "Come in." He heard her say.

"How's the arm this morning?" he questioned.

"It's still pretty sore," she offered. "The worst part of it all was trying to get comfortable last night. So, not only am I in pain but I am a little buggy from lack of sleep," Emily yawned.

"Are you sure that you are up to hosting this party tonight?" Jason questioned as he wondered how Elizabeth was fairing under the injuries she sustained yesterday.

"I have to be," Emily said. "Papa's counting on a good showing between the Morgan and Malucci families. We certainly need it as of late," Emily scoffed in an off-handed manner.

"I am sure that your health is far more important to Papa," Jason countered.

"Well... ..." Emily sighed as she tried unsuccessfully to drape her blazer over her shoulder.

"Here let me help you with that." Jason crossed the room to assist her. "Emily, if you decided to bow out of tonight's events I can't imagine that anyone would object... ..."

"Enough!" Emily cut him off. "I made a promise and I intend on keeping it. Jason?" she questioned as he brother suddenly had a far off look in his eye. "Jason?" Emily snapped her fingers before his face.

"Huh?"

"Where were you just now?" she asked.

"What?" he returned forcing his mind to focus on Emily rather than the thoughts of Elizabeth that filled every cavity of his head. He had stopped himself on several occasions from picking up the phone to call her. Jason knew that his placing a call to the Malucci mansion was far too dangerous yet not being able to know how Elizabeth was feeling was eating away at him.

"Are you all right?" Emily asked again.

"You haven't heard from Elizabeth have you?" Jason hesitated as he spoke.

"No."

"Oh." Jason did little to hide the frown that easily found its way to his face. He had hoped that Elizabeth had tried to contact Emily that morning under the guise of the benefit. Jason would have at least known that she was alive. "I need a favor," he began.

"A favor?"

"Yes."

"What kind of favor?" Emily asked even though she had a good idea what Jason wanted her to do.

"I want you to call the Malucci house and check on Elizabeth."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea Jason?" Emily spoke softly. She couldn't help recall the ominous feeling that had taken up residence in her since yesterday afternoon. While Emily knew that Jason loved Elizabeth and she did him, that didn't negate some rather obvious facts. Facts such as Anthony's hatred of Jason and his willingness to irradicate Jason, not to mention, the entire Morgan Clan from the face of the earth. Emily certainly didn't want to be a catalyst for the next wave of attack.

"What's wrong with the idea?" Jason returned. "It would make sense that you would call to check on her. You two are friends are you not?"

"Yes,"

"Then what's the problem?"

"Jason, you know the problem. Its name happens to be Anthony. Don't you think that maybe it would be better to leave well enough alone, at least for a little while?"

"Emily, I have done countless favors for you. I think that you could find it in your heart to do this one thing for me," Jason gasped as he made a mental list of all he had done for Emily in the past several months.

"Jason... ..."

"What?" he countered harshly. "Please don't tell me you are against us again?" He hated to admit it, but he had gotten accustomed to Emily being his strongest supporter when it came to his relationship with Elizabeth."

"No...yes..."

"Which is it?" he questioned angrily.

"I'll make the call," Emily relented. She knew that she owed Jason that much but still wasn't able to stop the morbid thoughts that circled her brain.

Jason stood anxiously in the background as Emily placed her call to Elizabeth. His panic level rose as the call ended almost as soon as it started. "What's wrong?!" Jason's voice rose and octave.

"Elizabeth wasn't home."

"What do you mean she wasn't home?" Jason's voice continued to climb. "Where the hell is she?"

"I didn't ask... ..."

"Why the hell not?" Jason shot back.

"Haven't you ever heard the saying discretion is the better part of valor?"

"Yes."

"Well, somehow I didn't think that my pressing some servant about Elizabeth's whereabouts was the smartest thing I could have done, especially not given my last name. Get a grip Jason."

"GET A GRIP!?!?" he echoed. The idea of that was laughable to him. Emily hadn't seen the way Anthony had been acting the previous afternoon nor had she heard his disguised threats against Elizabeth's safety. Getting a grip wasn't something Jason was about to do.

"Jason, calm down," Emily said as she reached for him arm. "I am sure that Elizabeth is fine. I know she wanted to take care of a few things before the benefit tonight. That must be where she is."

"Damn it Emily she has a concussion! The last thing Elizabeth should be doing is running around town!!"

"Jason...." Emily called to his retreating form. "Jason, where are you going?"

"To call Elizabeth myself!"

Emily let out a heavy sigh. She knew that there was no stopping Jason no matter what she said.

Elizabeth steeled herself at the doorway of one of the many dining rooms of the country club. She still hadn't been able to shake that odd feeling that Anthony had left her with. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of her father at the far end of the lavishly decorated room. "Hello father," Elizabeth said as she dropped her handbag on the corner of the table.

"Good after... ...Elizabeth!!" he gasped when he finally raised his eyes from the menu. "What on earth happened to you?"

"You mean this?" Elizabeth touched the bandage on her forehead. "this is courtesy of my dear husband."

"What?" Jeff swallowed hard around the lump in his throat.

"You heard me. Anthony decided that it would be fun to set up a little accident for Emily Morgan. The problem was he didn't count on me being in the car with her, then again maybe he did," she quipped.

"What? You aren't making much sense dear," Jeff stated.

"Yes I am!" Elizabeth growled. "You just aren't listening."

"Why would Anthony want to hurt Emily Morgan?"

"Like you don't know the answer to that." Elizabeth stared her father down as she motioned to a passing waiter for a glass of white wine.

Jeff did know the answer. Anthony was more than vocal when it came to his disdain for Don Morgan and his son Jason. Jeff sat across the table from his only daughter and felt his stomach turn end over end. What had he done to her? What kind of man marries his daughter off to a monster? Jeff could delude himself all he wanted into thinking that he hadn't known what Anthony had been like from the very beginning, but when it was all said and done he couldn't escape the knowledge that he had vanquished to the outer recesses of his mind. Jeff knew the moment he had approached Anthony for help he had made a pact with the devil and those sorts of pacts were never broken. "Why didn't someone notify me? You are still my daughter. I should have been called!" Jeff stressed.

"Why?" Elizabeth almost laughed. "It was bad enough I already had one farce with Anthony hovering over me. I didn't need or want to be another cog in the Webber political machine," Elizabeth huffed. "Hello?!?!" she nearly barked into the receiver of her ringing cell phone.

"Elizabeth?" Jason was instantly troubled by her heated tone when she answered the phone.

Jason's voice was music to her ears. "Jason," she gushed completely forgetting the fact that her father was still seated next to her.

Jeff raised his brow at the name he heard but did his best to hide his curiosity. "Jason huh?" Jeff thought to himself as the wheels in his head began to turn rapidly. "Jason...Jason." The name bounded around Jeff's brain. "Jason Morgan!" A light bulb finally clicked on. "What's he doing calling my daughter?" Jeff questioned silently.

"Elizabeth, what's the matter baby?" Jason questioned.

"Nothing now," she replied relieved to know that since the time she had last seen him no harm had come to him.

Jeff took great care in noticing his daughter's sudden change in demeanor.

"What are you doing? More importantly why aren't you at home resting?"

Elizabeth turned her head suddenly remembering she was far from being alone. "Excuse me a minute," she said to Jason. "This is a private conversation. I would appreciate it if you would treat it as such. I think you owe me at least that much," she stressed.

"Fine," Jeff agreed as his own agenda began taking shape.

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth," Jason said impatiently. "Who are you with?"

"My father," she answered.

Jason let out a heavy sigh. He had been overjoyed to hear that she was with anyone other than Anthony. "Where are you?"

"The country club."

"Why?"

"You are certainly full of questions aren't you?" Elizabeth laughed finally feeling at ease for the first time in days.

"Sorry, but really why aren't you at home resting? You have a concussion for god sakes. The last things you should be doing is driving," Jason instructed.

"I'm fine really," she assured him.

Jeff stood in the outer hallway watching Elizabeth carrying on her conversation with Jason Morgan. It was hard to miss the smile that filled her face or the easy way she would laugh now and again. He toyed with his cell phone as he tried to decide if the call he was about to make should be made. Jeff couldn't remember the last time he had seen a genuine smile on Elizabeth's face. It had been years ago, well before her mother had succumbed to her disease. The pangs of guilt began to surface in Jeff once more. Guilt for the life he knew he had robbed Elizabeth of, yet the threat of losing the life he had grown accustomed to always out weighed the guilt. This case in point was to be no different. Jeff dialed Anthony's familiar cell phone number and waited for him to pick up. "We have a problem," Jeff said before Anthony could even say hello.

"What kind of a problem?" Anthony asked. As the hands of the clock ticked closer to what he was not terming as 'Judgement Day', his good mood was growing by leaps and bounds.

"The kind that comes from an enemy camp," Jeff stated trying to keep his comments minimal.

"Which enemy camp might that be?" Anthony was immensely enjoying playing his father in law.

"Elizabeth just got a phone call from, well you will never guess from who... ..."

"Jason Morgan?" Anthony interrupted.

"YES!" Jeff was completely stunned. "You aren't concerned by that?"

"Nope."

"Excuse me?" Jeff's confusion continued to grow.

"I have Morgan covered," Anthony stated with great confidence. "In a few hours he won't be a problem!" he said pointedly.

"He won't be a problem? What do you mean he won't be a problem?" Jeff heard the alarmed inflection in his tone.

"What do you think I mean?" Anthony returned almost smugly.

"What are you doing Anthony?" Jeff asked directly. His mind centered now on the things that Elizabeth had told him earlier about the accident she and Emily Morgan had been in.

"Mind your own business, Jeff!" Anthony ordered as he hung up the phone not giving Jeff a chance to respond.

Jeff leaned his body into the cool surface of the wall. He now was getting a clearer picture of just how warped Anthony Malucci had become. Jeff had always known that fact but until that precise moment it had never been quite so obvious. He began to question his alliance with Anthony and the Malucci family in general. Jeff knew the Morgan family reputation. Surely Don Morgan wouldn't stand for Anthony's antics. It would only be a matter of time before Joseph Morgan had Anthony disposed of. Jeff couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for the Morgans to find their way to him as well. Perhaps it was time to hedge his bet Jeff thought to himself as he watched his daughter's continued conversation.

"Jason," Elizabeth sighed, "I'm feeling fine, really. Rocco is depending on me. I can't back out of the benefit now, besides, it's a good way for us to see one another," she added slyly.

Jason couldn't hide his own smile now. He would indeed enjoy spending the entire evening with her without anyone being able to say a damn thing about it. "I just want you to get enough rest. Even a slight concussion isn't something to be taken lightly."

"I know," she agreed as the remnants of her earlier headache continued to linger.

"Then promise me you will high tail it home and lay down for a few hours before tonight. You are going to need it."

"Only if you make me a promise too," Elizabeth said with a seductive lilt to her voice.

"What would that be?" Jason asked.

"That we slip out of the benefit and have ourselves a proper reunion."

"Proper reunion, huh?" Jason smiled as the images of Elizabeth's naked form paraded before his eyes.

"Uh-huh."

"Well maybe we could do something about that. That is if you are feeling up to it."

"Not to worry," she assured him.

"Mr. Morgan," the voice of Jason's secretary blared through the intercom.

"Yes?" Jason answered. "Elizabeth, honey hang on a moment." He placed Elizabeth on hold to attend to the interruption. "Yes, what it is?"

"Jack is on the line sir. There is a problem with some merchandise at the dock warehouse."

"What kind of merchandise trouble?" Jason asked as a sinking feeling entered his stomach.

"I'm not sure sir. Jack says that he needs you to get down there immediately."

"DANM!!"

"What should I tell him Mr. Morgan?"

"Tell him I will be there when I get there," Jason growled. "Elizabeth, baby, I have to go," he said returning to the line Elizabeth was waiting patiently on.

Instantly Elizabeth was consumed by an eerie chill that ran down her spine. "Why?" she asked cautiously.

"Some warehouse problem. Apparently I am the only one who can take care of it."

"You can't send someone else?" she pressed unable to shake her fears. Anthony's gleeful manner that afternoon played continually through her mind. Something about all of this just seemed off to her.

"According to Jack, my warehouse manager, no. He needs me immediately."

"Please don't go, Jason!" Elizabeth heard her voice quiver as she tried to hold her tears at bay.

"I have to. What's the matter baby?" Jason easily picked up on her apprehensions.

"Just don't go okay?" She suddenly felt the tiniest bit silly in her request but went forward with it anyhow.

"It's business and I have to attend to it," Jason emphasized. Elizabeth was just about to express her concerns regarding Anthony when his words stopped her. "I promise it's just business and that I will see you at the benefit. Now you promise me that you will rest. I really need to go now."

"Be careful Jason, please. I love you," she said unsure if he had even heard those words as the dial tone rang in her ear.

Jeff made his way into the dining room as soon as he saw Elizabeth place her phone on the table. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"No... yes," she corrected herself. "I'm not feeling well. I think I should go home and rest up for tonight."

"I agree. Do you need me to drive you home?" he inquired in his most fatherly tone.

"No, no the limo is parked out front waiting for me."

"Well then, rest up and I will see you and Anthony tonight," Jeff said.

"Yes," Elizabeth returned absently. Her mind was still full of ominous thoughts about the Morgan warehouse and Anthony's peculiar behavior.

Jason waited as the large metal warehouse door slid open. The entire ride over he couldn't help feeling as though Anthony was up to his old tricks. "What's the trouble Jack?" Jason asked as he approached the small group of men talking amongst themselves.

"New York is missing a truck," Jack answered.

"Missing...missing how?"

"Missing like as in never arrived at its destination," Jack barked. He was past frustrated. For the last two and a half hours he have been on the phone with the New York distributors arguing about the missing shipment.

"New York you said?" Jason questioned. He felt as if he had been pulled back into a bad replay of events from months ago.

"Yes!" Jack sighed.

Jason's blood began a slow steady boil. "Where's Malucci ever going to learn?" Jason whispered under his breath. "So, what are the New York boys saying about all of this?"

"What do you think they are saying? They're pissed!" Jack stated.

"Max!" Jason called. "Get on the radio and start calling in a few favors. I want that truck found NOW!! Who the hell was the driver?! They better hope they were hijacked at gunpoint!!" Jason growled. "WHAT?!?!" he yelled into his cell phone.

"You have five minutes to clear the building before it blows," a muffled voice met Jason's ear.

"What?" Jason held his hand in the air and magically stopped the commotion going on around him.

"Get everyone out of the building! You're wasting time!!" Jason was rendered speechless for a second. "DON'T YOU GET IT MAN?!?! THERE'S A FUCKING BOMB READY TO BLOW IN THAT WAREHOUSE!!!!" There was a sense of urgency to the man's voice that sent Jason in motion.

"JACK!!" Jason began screaming. "get everyone out of here NOW!!"

"What? Why??"

"NOW...NOW...GO...GO!!! MAX CLEAR ALL THE OFFICES...."

"Jason, what's going on?" Max questioned as he watched his boss race around the expansive warehouse pushing everyone out the door.

"THE WAREHOUSE IS GOING TO BLOW... ...NOW FUCKIN' MOVE!!!!" Jason screamed.

Elizabeth picked up the phone and called Jason for the third time that afternoon. The foreboding feeling that she had had all day intensified in the last hours. Each unanswered call she placed to Jason only served to heighten her fears. "Come on Jason, pick up the damn phone," she said into the receiver.

Across town Jason's cell phone lay ringing on the pavement.


	39. Chapter 38

Elizabeth weaved her way through the crowds at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. The benefit was off to a roaring success but right now that mattered very little to her. The only thing she was able to focus on was the fact that Jason or any member of the Morgan family for that matter had yet to arrive. Again Elizabeth pushed down the sick feeling rising from the pit of her stomach. After six unanswered calls to Jason's cell phone that afternoon, Elizabeth threw caution to the wind and phoned his office at Morgan Enterprises. She pretended to be the secretary of a business associate looking for some paperwork that she claimed Jason had for her boss. Unfortunately that call hadn't gained her anymore information than she had already known except that Jason's secretary didn't know anything about any paperwork and that she would have Jason call Elizabeth when he returned to the office. Elizabeth waited all afternoon for that call. In fact she waited so long that she nearly wasn't ready when Anthony called to say the limo was about to leave.

"There you are," Jeff approached her.

"Huh?" Elizabeth said absently.

"You're supposed to be at the door with Anthony and I greeting the guests," Jeff explained. "Please don't force me to remind you of all the press here tonight."

"Spare me," Elizabeth countered sarcastically. "I don't need another lecture."

"You could have fooled me."

Elizabeth dutifully stood between Anthony and her father. She pasted a smile on her face and shook hands with a multitude of faceless strangers as she thanked them for coming and how much the Coronary Care Unit would gain from their generosity. She said it so many times that she began to sound like a pre-recorded message.

"Congressman, would you mind posing for a picture?" A man with a camera hanging around his neck asked.

"Only if it includes my daughter and son in law also." Jeff smiled broadly for the camera.

"Certainly," the cameraman concurred.

"I don't think ....." Elizabeth said as she backed away.

"Of course we will join you, Jeff." Anthony reached and pulled Elizabeth back to her original position. "My wife has worked very hard to make this event a success. She should be recognized as well," Anthony said in a most congenial tone.

"I wouldn't feel right taking all the credit," Elizabeth blushed. "Emily Morgan worked just as hard as I did. She deserves to be in this photo as much as I do."

"If you hadn't noticed Emily isn't here at the moment," Anthony sneered. He was certain that she was at home with the rest of her family mourning the death of their beloved Jason.

"I think that we could take this picture now," Jeff offered not wanting to miss what he considered a perfect photo opportunity. "When Ms. Morgan arrives I am sure that this kind gentleman wouldn't mind taking another photo of the two of you," Jeff said directly to his daughter.

"Sure I could do that." The man agreed.

"Well then it's settled," Jeff said.

Elizabeth positioned herself between her father and her husband again as the flash lit up their surroundings. When the reporter had gone Elizabeth turned and glanced at Anthony. He appeared almost giddy to her, and giddy wasn't a quality that in all the years she had known him to ever possess. It was that demeanor that left her with an uneasy feeling. It was a feeling that she had been unable to shake all day and the absence of the Morgan family only heightened it. Elizabeth stopped a passing waiter and retrieved a fluted glass of champagne from his tray. "Good evening, Elizabeth." She heard a familiar voice say as they kissed her hand.

"Jason!!" She cried unable to contain the relief that filled her.

"You didn't expect to see me did you?" Jason stared directly at Anthony as he spoke.

Anthony just about choked on the swallow of champagne he held in his mouth as the sight of Jason Morgan and his self satisfied grin that stood before him.

Joseph sat quietly as Rocco's servant helped him into the limo. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that he was more than a little stunned by it all. "Good evening," Rocco said from across the leather seat.

"Evening," Joseph replied almost monotone.

"Joseph?" Rocco raised his brow taking note of the blank expression on his friend's face. "What is it?" he questioned.

"If I only knew where to begin," Joseph let out an exhausted sigh.

"What has Anthony done now?" Rocco's question was being to sound like a broken record.

Joseph stared at his long time friend. It took all the strength that he had within him to have this conversation after what had taken place at his warehouse this afternoon. The frantic phone call that he had received from Max still played out in Joseph's mind. Thankfully Jason and the others hadn't been harmed but the mere idea that Anthony had attempted to kill his son left Joseph's blood running cold.

"Joseph, what is it?" Rocco asked again.

"There was an explosion at one of the Morgan warehouses this afternoon," Joseph answered flatly.

"OH MY GOD!! Was anyone hurt?"

"No – no one was hurt."

"How did it happen?" Rocco inquired.

"How do you think it happened?!?" Joseph growled. "IT HAPPENED THE SAME WAY ALL OF THE OTHER ATTACKS AGAINST MY FAMILY HAPPENED!!!!"

"My son," Rocco whispered ashamed to call Anthony that.

"YES!!!" Joseph barked. "One Morgan life wasn't enough for him! He had to try for Jason as well."

"What?!?" Rocco gasped.

"What, not only is your heart failing you but now so is your hearing!?!" Joseph spat for the first time addressing his friend with any form of disrespect.

"No." Rocco heard every word Joseph said but comprehending them was the problem. "I'm so sorry." He knew how inadequate those words were, but didn't know what else to say.

"Sorry won't erase the damage that's been done to my family by yours," Joseph stated. "Sorry won't bring back AJ's lost child, sorry doesn't wipe away that I could have lost my wife and daughter to freak car accidents, nor does it negate the fact that Jason was nearly blown to bits this afternoon." Those angry words caught in Joseph's throat.

"I understand," Rocco agreed.

"I don't think that you do! I have let our friendship get in the way of what should have been done a long time ago!"

"I treasure our alliance," Rocco began, "I never meant for it to cost you so much."

"It won't any longer," Joseph stated firmly.

"As it shouldn't," Rocco agreed. "Words can not express the loathing I have for my son. What Anthony has done to your family, well, he will be held accountable for each and every action... ..."

"Yes he will!"

"After tonight Anthony won't be a problem for your family. He won't be a problem for anyone," Rocco said as he thought of the promise he made to Elizabeth the previous night.

"How so?" Joseph questioned.

"You have my word that Anthony will be dealt with in such a manner that he will feel every ounce of pain that he has inflicted on the Morgan family."

"In your weakened state, are you sure that's something that you can pull off?" Joseph asked with a mixture of concern and mocking.

"I will do what needs to be done!"

"Make sure that you do. If Anthony is still breathing in the morning, I will have no choice but to take care of him myself!!" With those words Joseph exited the limo and walked across the parking lot of the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

Anthony did a double take closing his eyes and opening them again. It made little difference since the sight before him never changed. Jason Morgan was still standing there in the flesh. "You look like you just saw a ghost," Jason joked certain that Anthony wished that was indeed what he was seeing.

The rage inside Anthony grew with brute force. It wasn't possible that Jason Morgan was alive. Anthony had personally seen to every detail of the explosion. He made sure that the margin for error was none. This couldn't have been happening. "For a man whose company is matching the funds for this event, don't you think it was in poor taste that you are arriving so late?" Anthony said through clenched teeth.

"It was unavoidable," Jason began. "There was a pressing business matter that needed my attention. There were some issues with our New York associates. It seems as though the LaCocca's were late in receiving our shipments. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" Jason pressed.

"What would I know about your shipments?" Anthony feigned ignorance while he tried to keep his anger in check.

Elizabeth stood quietly watching the two men. She was overjoyed that Jason was all right and even though she couldn't put her finger on it she knew there was far more to this contest between her husband and lover than she could explain.

"As you pointed out, Anthony, I was tardy in my arrival. I think I should go say hello to Dr. Harner and a few of the others."

"Yeah, you do that," Anthony agreed.

"Your days are numbered!" Jason growled in his adversary's ear as he walked past him.

Anthony clasped his hands at his sides as he physically tried to control the tremors that threatened to over take him. Everything that had been within his reach was suddenly gone. Hours before Anthony had been poised to take the next step in collecting what rightfully belonged to the Malucci family, yet now he was back to ground zero again. "WHY??" a voice screamed in his head. "WHY WAS JASON MORGAN STILL BREATHING?!?" Anthony didn't have the answers to those questions but he damn sure intended on getting them. He reached for another glass of champagne and downed it in one gulp. The tart liquid did little to put out the raging fire within him. Anthony turned to his wife, who was straining her neck for even the slightest glimpse of Jason Morgan. It took all his powers of restraint not to finish off his enemy right there, right now but it was the sight of his father and Joseph entering the room together that stopped him. Jason Morgan may have won this battle but Anthony knew his weakness. That weakness was Elizabeth and he would use that to his fullest advantage. He was going to win this war no matter the cost.

Elizabeth used the benefit of the crowded room to finally slip away from both her father and Anthony. She needed to find Jason. She needed to know what was really going on. She found him in a heated debate with several men with whom she didn't know. "Excuse me," she said as she interrupted them. "I hate to disturb you all, but I need to speak with Mr. Morgan... ...something concerning the benefit." Elizabeth tried to sound as formal as possible.

"Duty calls gentlemen," Jason gestured as he followed Elizabeth toward the kitchen. Once Elizabeth was sure that they were out of sight of those attending the benefit, she embraced Jason tightly. All the fears she harbored throughout the day had been unfounded. Elizabeth was thankful for that. "Easy there," Jason said as he teasingly gasped for air.

"Where have you been?" Her tone was almost scolding.

"I told you already."

"No, I don't want the load of BS that you fed to Anthony. What was really going on, and why didn't you answer your phone all afternoon?!?"

Jason pulled her against his chest and rested his chin on the top of her head. He couldn't look her in the face and lie to her. No more than could he tell her that her husband had arranged for his early death either. He let out a heavy sigh. "The battery died in my phone. I'm sorry you were worried."

"Jason, what happened to your hands?" Elizabeth asked as she felt brush burns on his palms. He winced as her fingers grazed the brightly raised markings.

"Rope burn."

"Rope burn?" She pulled back forcing his eyes to meet hers.

"Yes. I was trying to help Jack at the warehouse this afternoon. A pulley let go and well..." he stammered hoping that even a little bit of this story sounded believable. "I thought that I could stop it and ended up with these." Jason turned his hands over to show her the full extent of his injuries. The fact rope hadn't caused those marks made no difference to Jason. They had come from his trying to stop the full weight of his body from hitting the ground as the explosion rang out over him, but Elizabeth didn't need to know that."

"Does it hurt?" she questioned.

"A little," he smiled. "You could kiss it and make it all better," Jason said as he leaned in to let his lips graze her bare neck. He hoped his little distraction would keep Elizabeth from questioning him any further about the afternoon's events.

"Maybe I could," she replied as an electric pulse shot through her body. "Is our little reunion all set?"

"Depends on how you are feeling," he said.

"This should tell you how I am feeling." Elizabeth tugged at the thigh high slit in her evening gown as she gently brought Jason's hand to her inner thigh guiding his fingers upward. He bit his lip as his fingertips made contact with the soft tufts of hair covering her most feminine spot.

"You are naughty," he whispered in her ear.

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Elizabeth purred seductively.

Jason took a deep breath as the sounds of the goings on around them forced him to recall where they were. "We need to mingle," he said. "Don't pout," he smiled as Elizabeth did exactly what he told her not to do. "You go your way and I will go mine. I am sure our paths will cross on occasion."

"You better believe they will, Mr. Morgan," Elizabeth agreed as she patted his behind before getting lost in the crowd.

Jeff stood across the room and watched the head of the most powerful crime family in Chicago mingle among the throngs of people as if he was one of them. Joseph Morgan milled through the crowded room in his neatly pressed tuxedo looking like any other businessman there to put in an appearance. It was hard for Jeff to imagine that so few people knew the true man behind the mask that Joseph Morgan wore. He had been one of those many people who knew nothing about the world that Joseph Morgan, Rocco Malucci and the others live in. That was until his back had been forced to the wall. Jeff vaguely wondered why he had chosen to align himself with Anthony and his family rather than the family with the true power. Maybe it had been because Anthony Malucci had made himself available in a way that Joseph Morgan never would have. Jeff's long ago reasoning mattered little given the present situation. It was apparent that Anthony was teetering on the edge. Jeff certainly wasn't about to do down with the Malucci's sinking ship. "Good evening, Mr. Morgan. I am Congressman Webber," Jeff said as he offered Joseph his hand.

"I know who you are," Joseph answered without ever looking in Jeff's direction.

"I wanted to thank you and your son for your generous contribution to this event." Jeff stumbled over his words.

"The Morgan family has never been shy about lending aid to a good cause no matter who may be involved," Joseph's eyes finally scanned the man standing in front of him. If all that he had been told about Jeff Webber was true, Joseph knew this was anything but a friendly thank you.

"You have a lovely daughter. Emily has done so much to help make this benefit a success," Jeff nearly gushed.

"Thank you."

"She and my daughter, Elizabeth, have become rather good friends. You have met my daughter haven't you?" Jeff knew he was rambling but wasn't able to stop himself. "She's married to Anthony Malucci."

"What a pity," Joseph stated.

"As I am sure you are aware, I am throwing my hat into the ring so to speak in the upcoming race for senate."

"I hadn't heard," Joseph said bored with this engineered conversation.

"I was hoping to garner your support... ..."

Joseph smiled sinisterly and raised his brow. The gall of this man knew no bounds. "My support?" Joseph stopped him.

"Yes. You must know your reputation, Mr. Morgan. You are a powerful man not just in the city of Chicago but the state as well. I am sure that with your backing... ..."

"What makes you think I would back an amoral man like yourself?"

"Excuse me?" Jeff couldn't help but be a bit taken aback by those words.

"Seems to me sir you took a gamble and you lost. Now it's time to pay the piper. Might I suggest that you tell your current benefactor that as well." Joseph said those words with purpose. Anthony was hardly discreet as he stood poised listening to their conversation. Joseph wanted Anthony to be well aware that his days were numbered. "If you'll excuse me." Joseph strode past Jeff Webber without so much as waiting for a reply. "Good evening Anthony," Joseph rubbed the shoulders of his friend's only son. "It appears that all your rats are about to jump ship." Joseph grinned as he continued through the crowd.

Anthony walked to the opposite side of the ballroom. He needed the distance to pull his ragged thoughts together. He ran his hand through his hair as he tried to shake off the panic that Joseph's subtle words had left him. This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. Jason Morgan was supposed to be dead, Joseph was supposed to be crippled under the loss of his son leaving Anthony and a few of the others he had been able to gather in his camp to swoop in and claim what should have been theirs. He pulled out his cell phone and placed a call to the only man who could answer the question was Jason Morgan was alive. "CAN YOU DO ANYTHING FUCKIN' RIGHT?!?" Reggie's hello was silenced by Anthony's angry question.

"What?" Reggie had been waiting for this call all afternoon. He was surprised that it had taken Anthony this long to find out that his grand scheme hadn't gone according to plan. "What are you talking about?" he asked as he tried to sound confused by Anthony's accusations.

"I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT JASOM MORGAN IS STILL BREATHING!!!!!!!!!" Anthony growled. "I thought you said everything was set at the warehouse?"

"It was." Reggie hoped that his voice didn't reveal his apprehension.

"OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T!! THAT PRICK WALTZED IN HERE TONIGHT WITH A GRIN ON HIS FACE A FUCKIN' MILE WIDE!!"

"I don't understand. What went wrong?" Reggie asked as he played along.

"That's what I fuckin' want to know!!" Anthony's bellowing voice attracted the attention of those passing by him.

"I set it just like you told me," Reggie stuttered.

"Like hell you did! If you had Morgan would be six feet under by now!"

"I swear boss... ..."

"You swear huh? Well, I swear to you man if I even get so much as a whiff that you jumped ship," Anthony said thinking back to Joseph's earlier comment, "you will wish it was you in that explosion!!"

Reggie listened as the line went dead in his ear. He dropped the receiver in his lap as his hands began to tremble. Why hadn't he just left town like he had originally planned? Why hadn't he made that call to Jason Morgan from halfway around the country? He had Anthony's money. He could have virtually disappeared into the night without a trace. Reggie knew better though. Anthony had been having him tailed for weeks now. No matter where Reggie ran Anthony would find him sooner or later. That was a given.

Absently Reggie paced the floor of his tiny hotel room as he tried to lay out his next course of action. His only option happened to be a double edged sword. It had the potential to cut him in either direction. The one and only person who could offer him a haven from Anthony was the very same person that with one word could wipe him from the face of the earth faster than even Malucci could. That person was Joseph Morgan. Reggie had known all along that either way he was a dead man. There wasn't a single person he could turn to now. Suddenly an idea hit him. It was a long shot but a shot just the same. Reggie picked up the phone and called Rocco Malucci.


	40. Chapter 39

Anthony stood alone by the bar nursing his glass of scotch and his rage. His eyes came to rest on Joseph and Jason Morgan who were locked in a conversation with Dr. Harner and several other members of the hospital board. Anthony's hatred of the father/son pair knew no bounds. It had been a slow and steady growth since before Anthony and Jason were in their teens. Their fathers were forever comparing one to the other, yet it was always Jason who came out the winner. "Not this time!" Anthony hissed as he pushed his glass to the edge of the bar.

Elizabeth moved Rocco's wheelchair toward Jason and his father. "Excuse me," she said as she simply placed her hand on Jason's shoulder.

"Good evening Mrs. Malucci," Dr. Harner said. "Nice to see you, Rocco," he added as he extended his hand to the elder Malucci. "I have been remiss in properly thanking you for all that Malucci Manufacturing has done to make this event a great success."

"Thanks isn't necessary," Rocco stated. "It's been my pleasure."

"It's about time we get the auction started," Elizabeth said. "Mr. Morgan, you wouldn't happen to know where Emily is?" Elizabeth addressed Jason's father. "I don't want to start the festivities without her."

"She and Zander came on their own. I am sure she's here somewhere," Joseph offered.

"I could help you look for her," Jason suggested with a twinkle in his eye.

"Thank you." Elizabeth smiled brightly.

"Joseph," Rocco began, "While these young people are on their search would you mind helping me to the head table?"

Joseph eyed Jason and Elizabeth sternly. The last thing he wanted was those two to be anywhere near one another. Their relationship had caused enough damage and until he was able to be sure that Anthony was no longer an issue the further away they stayed from each other the better. "Jason and I can look for Emily," Joseph offered his own suggestion. "This is Elizabeth's night, the Malucci family's night. All of you should be at the head table by now enjoying your accomplishments. Jason and I will escort you both to your rightful places and then be off to find Emily so she can join you."

"Mr. Morgan, that won't be necessary," Elizabeth jumped in. "This is a joint effort on the part of both our families. Not to mention that I am sure Emily is in the kitchen. Seems as though the caterer needs her advice on nearly everything. I am sure that where she has to be. We will only be a minute." Elizabeth took Jason by the hand and led him away before Joseph Morgan was able to object.

Elizabeth and Jason crossed the room in pursuit of Emily. Elizabeth couldn't contain the thrill that engulfed her. It was the first time that she had publicly been able to be close to Jason without having the concern of how it looked to the outside world hanging over her head. For Elizabeth it was heaven with just a dash of naughty thrown in. "This way," she instructed Jason to follow her.

"Where are we going? I thought you said Emily was in the kitchen," he asked as she led him down a deserted corridor. "Emily wouldn't... ..." Elizabeth's urgent kiss silenced his words.

Easily Jason allowed himself to get caught up in the moment. Elizabeth's tongue probed his mouth as Jason drew her body hard against his own. It took very little to arouse him. Just the mere thought of her naked body beyond the silky fabric of her evening gown was all Jason needed. He moaned softly as she pressed the palm of her hand against his bulging manhood. "Elizabeth," he whispered hoarsely almost unable to control his desire.

"I have been dying to do this all night," she returned as her hot breath tickled his neck.

"We are supposed to be looking for Emily... ... remember," Jason expelled a ragged breath.

"Emily...ah Emily," she grinned. Elizabeth pulled back as she adjusted Jason's black bow tie. He returned her grin with his own mischievous one.

"How about we find my sister?" he asked kissing the tip of Elizabeth's nose. "But we will most definitely be picking this up at a later date."

"We most certainly will," she agreed as she leaned in for one last kiss.

Jeff stepped out of the darkness and watched Elizabeth and Jason as they headed back toward the hustle and bustle of the goings on in the main room. Jeff again saw happiness in his daughter that hadn't been there in years. He had been correct in his assumptions that Jason Morgan and his daughter had been having an affair – right under Anthony's nose to boot. It was that that troubled Jeff the most. If Anthony had intended on taking care of Jason Morgan did that also mean that he would be taking care of Elizabeth as well? That thought physically freighted Jeff Webber. He set off after her. The time had come for Elizabeth to get a clear dose of reality.

Jason and Elizabeth absently made their way around the room not especially looking for Emily. Both were enjoying the charade that let them be together.

"Elizabeth," Jeff reached for her arm just as she was about to follow Jason into the kitchen.

"Yes?" she said sweetly until the sight of her father met her eyes. "What?"

"I need to discuss something with you in private." Jeff stared directly at Jason.

"I'll go in and see if Emily has hidden herself away in here," Jason pointed toward the large kitchen. He would have given anything to stand there and protect Elizabeth from a man Jason saw as just as much of a monster as Anthony, but he knew he couldn't. Gently he squeezed Elizabeth's hand before he disappeared behind the swinging door.

"What do you want?" Elizabeth spat.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Jeff returned.

"I was trying to find Emily Morgan so that we can continue on with the evening's events."

"Wrong answer my dear," Jeff replied.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about your little escapade with Mr. Morgan," Jeff stated. "I saw that two of you in the hallway when you thought no one was looking!"

Elizabeth felt her mouth go dry and her mind race as she looked for an explanation for her father's accusation. "I don't know what you are talking about." Elizabeth shifted uneasy before him.

"You need to steer clear of Jason Morgan. Do you hear me?"

"What do you care what I do?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm trying to protect you. Do you have any idea what Anthony would have done if he had been the one to witness your little indiscretion?"

"You don't give a damn about what Anthony would do!" Elizabeth shot down her father's mock concern. "All that matters to you is your illustrious political career and Anthony keeping your dirty little secret!" Her voice rose in anger.

"Elizabeth?" Jason asked as he and Emily emerged from behind the kitchen door.

"Ah, I see you were able to locate your sister," Jeff said averting his attention toward those who had interrupted his conversation.

"Yes, yes I did. Elizabeth?" Jason questioned again. She was able to read the concern in his eyes as he spoke. "Is everything all right?" He raised his brow.

"Yes," she strained to reign in the mixture of anger and fear that coursed through her veins.

"You look a little pale," Emily added. "Are you feeling okay?"

Jason had noticed that also. It worried him. He had his suspicions that this evening would be too much for her, yet there was something about the way Elizabeth stood looking at her father that told Jason this had nothing to do with her concussion.

"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. My father just wanted to be sure that we were on schedule. I assured him that we were."

"Well then," Jeff began, "shall we?" He offered his arm to Elizabeth who immediately declined. "Ms. Morgan, would you do me the honor?"

"Of course," Emily linked her arm in Jeff's as he escorted her to the head table.

"Elizabeth, wait," Jason stopped her as she started to follow them.

"Huh?"

"Are you sure that you are all right?"

"Yes, yes I am fine. We should go." Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to tell Jason that her father had seen them before. She knew what his reaction would be. She wasn't about to take the chance that he would call off their reunion for later that evening.

Jason took the seat next to his father, yet never took his eyes off of Elizabeth as she sat obediently alongside her father and husband.

"Good evening," Dr. Harner took his place behind the podium on the stage. "Please let me express my gratitude for all those in attendance here tonight. Your presence assures me that Chicago Memorial is well on its way to a glorious new Coronary Care Unit. Before we begin tonight's program I wish to introduce the two ladies who were instrumental in putting this fabulous event together. Mrs. Elizabeth Malucci and Ms. Emily Morgan. Please join me ladies." Emily and Elizabeth rose from their seats and made their way to the stage. "A warm round of applause please," Dr. Harner instructed the group.

"Thank you," Elizabeth answered timidly. "It has been our pleasure working for a worthwhile cause such as this one. The man who deserves the true applause is," Anthony and Jeff both began to stand, "Rocco Malucci." Once more the room filled with applause as Rocco raised his hand in appreciation. "Rocco is a generous man," Elizabeth continued. "He saw the opportunity to do a greater good in expanding the Coronary Care Unit as it now stands. He organized the auction and gathered many of the wonderful packages you are about to begin bidding on... ..."

Anthony sat fuming while his wife continued lavishing praise on his father. If looks could have killed Elizabeth would have been dead where she stood. Why Anthony was shocked that she had chosen to acknowledge his father he didn't know. The bond between them was as plain as day, but that still didn't make it any easier to swallow.

"Thank you," Rocco said as he struggled to stand. "I am not the only person who deserves such wonderful praise. Joseph Morgan and his family's business have done many things for this event as well. Morgan Enterprises will be donating matching funds from all the proceeds of our auction this evening. Joseph's lovely daughter Emily has worked tirelessly alongside my daughter in law Elizabeth in arranging this extraordinary event. They are the ones who truly were the driving force in making this affair as spectacular as it is. Joseph and Jason, please join them on stage," Rocco directed.

"This by far isn't necessary," Joseph said to the crowded room. "Morgan Enterprises has a vested interest in this city and will continue to be on the look out for projects and charities we feel will serve the community to the fullest. Thank you."

Anthony felt his nails as they dug into his palm. There was his wife watching Jason Morgan with loving eyes for all the room to witness. He clenched his jaw as his rage began to boil over. Jason Morgan by all rights should have been dead. He wasn't supposed to be smiling like some Cheshire cat. "Reggie you're a dead man!" Anthony whispered violently under his breath.

Rocco glanced around the room as he watched auction paddle after auction paddle being raised in the air. Each item went for more money than the previous ones. He had such a wonderful feeling knowing that even though there wasn't anything that could be done for his own failing heart, many others would profit from the Coronary Care Unit expansion being financed there that evening. The muffled ringing from inside his suit coat drew Rocco's attention away from his surroundings. "Malucci here," he said as he flipped his cell phone open.

"Mr. Malucci," Reggie cleared his throat. "You don't know me sir, but I have some information and I need your help."

"My help? Who is this?" Rocco questioned.

"I'd rather discuss this in person," Reggie replied.

"I am in the middle of a rather important event at the moment. I can't just drop everything to go chasing after some unknown voice on the other end of the phone."

"Mr. Malucci," Reggie swallowed hard before speaking. "It's a matter of life and death."

"Excuse me?"

"Please, Mr. Malucci, I need to speak with you right away!!" Rocco remained silent for a moment. There was something about the tone in this man's voice that sent a cold chill down his spine and forced Rocco to pay attention. "Mr. Malucci? Are you still there sir?"

"Yes, yes, I'm still here."

"Will you meet me then sir?"

"Not without first knowing what this is all about," Rocco pressed. No matter what his gut was telling him he wasn't about to walk into this situation sight unseen.

Reggie hadn't wanted to say anything over the phone. He wanted a face to face meeting with Rocco Malucci. He wanted some guarantee for his own survival before he opened up with all that he knew, yet it appeared that Rocco Malucci wasn't accepting of that proposition. "It's about your son," Reggie answered hesitantly.

"My son? What about my son?" Rocco turned his head and focused his gaze on Anthony.

"It's about his little side projects," Reggie remarked pointedly.

"What about them?" Rocco inquired. The man on the other end of the phone had his full attention now.

"Please, I really need to discuss this with you in person," Reggie stressed.

"Fine. Meet me at my home in a half-hour. Tell the guard at the gate you are Roberto from the pharmacy and you have a delivery for me. He will bring you directly in to see me."

"Thank you Mr. Malucci."

"Don't thank me yet," Rocco said as he put an end to their talk.

Rocco waved his hand to attract the attention of his servant. "Yes sir?"

"I'm not feeling well. I think it's time I was heading home," Rocco explained.

"I'll bring the car around."

"Rocco? What's the matter? Did I hear you say you weren't feeling well?" Elizabeth asked hearing only the tail end of the conversation.

"I'm a bit tired. Must be too much activity. It's worn this old man out," Rocco smiled. He hated lying to her.

"Why don't I go home with you. You shouldn't really be alone if you aren't feeling well."

"Nonsense," Rocco scoffed. "there is absolutely no reason for you to home come with me. I will be just heading straight to bed."

"I would still feel better if I went with you," Elizabeth stressed. She knew that she was jeopardizing her evening with Jason but she didn't like the thoughts of Rocco being home alone.

"I need you to stay here." Rocco patted her hand softly. "You have done a wonderful job with this event. I need you to be here to represent our interests. I promise you I will be fine. Please express my apologies to Dr. Harner and the others."

"Rocco... ..." Elizabeth protested again.

"Enough child." Rocco stopped her. "Enjoy the rest of your evening. You deserve it."

Elizabeth looked on as her father in law was wheeled away from her. There was a strange lump in her throat she couldn't quite explain.


	41. Chapter 40

Elizabeth turned and made a vain attempt at focusing her attention on the remainder of the benefit, yet she was unable to shake the odd feeling that surrounded her.

"Where's my father going?" Anthony asked gruffly. His alcohol-induced haze was getting the better of him.

"Home," Elizabeth answered simply.

"Home??" Anthony echoed.

"Yes, he's going home," Elizabeth stated once more. "Rocco told me he wasn't feeling well, actually he was just worn out from the event."

"He isn't feeling well?" Anthony questioned.

Suddenly Elizabeth felt like she was talking but the person before her wasn't listening. "He's just tired, Anthony. I am sure that the evening just got the better of him. Given his condition, I am surprised he managed to stay as long as he did," Elizabeth said more to herself than to Anthony.

"It's time we were going home too."

"What?" Elizabeth stared at him curiously. "I can't leave now! The benefit is only three fourths of the way completed," she stressed.

"I don't give a damn about this event!" Anthony shot back. All that he had once thought being tied to this event would bring him had long since passed. The outcome of the benefit mattered very little to him anymore. The one thing that did matter greatly to him right now though was finding Reggie and making the man pay for his incompetence.

"Well I do! For that matter so does your father."

Anthony clenched his jaw as the ever-present bond between his wife and father reared its head. "We're going home!" Anthony angrily tugged at her arm pulling her in the direction of the door.

"Elizabeth, my dear," Joseph stopped the pair. He hadn't taken his eyes off Anthony and his wife as he watched the action between them escalate. It wasn't hard to tell that the man was attempting to manhandle Elizabeth. That was something that Joseph Morgan would not tolerate in any form, no matter what the circumstances were. "Emily has been looking for you. There is a reporter interested in doing an interview with the two of you." Joseph's voice was as sweet as sugar yet his fiery eyes told another tale as he rested them squarely on Anthony.

"Oh." Elizabeth was caught off guard a bit.

"Anthony, would you mind if I escorted your wife across the room?" Joseph smiled as he offered his arm to Elizabeth. It was the identical self-assured smile that Jason had worn earlier, one that served to enrage Anthony further.

The sight of Elizabeth and Joseph walking across the ballroom floor readily caught Jason's attention not to mention peaked his curiosity. He couldn't help but think his father had to have something up his sleeve. Especially given the way Anthony Malucci stood to the side looking as if he was chewing nails. Jason picked up his drink from the bar and smiled arrogantly to himself. It may have taken his father some time to come around but it was a pleasure to know that Malucci would finally get what he so richly deserved.

Reggie paced the room as he waited for Anthony's father to join him. His anxiety was getting the better of him at the moment. His eyes surveyed the room. Reggie's gaze stopped on the sideboard filled with assorted liquor bottles. What he wouldn't have given for a drink right then.

"What was so important that you dragged me away from the Coronary Care Benefit?" Rocco's voice filled the silent room.

"There are some things I think you need to know about your son's obsession with the Morgan family," Reggie's voice caught in his throat.

"What would you know about his obsession?" Rocco's eyes traveled the length of the man's body as he did his best to size up the person standing in front of him.

"I know plenty," Reggie countered. "I need your protection sir."

Rocco motioned for everyone in the room to leave. What this man had to say Rocco wanted to hear in private.

Anthony slammed his phone down on the bar for the hundredth time that night. "Where the fuck are you?!?" he seethed. "You think you can run, Reggie, my man." Anthony spoke to the air around him. "You think you can hide from me, do you? NOT ON YOUR LIFE!!" Anthony picked up the phone and dialed it again. "Ralphie."

"Yeah boss?"

"I need you to find Reggie! When you do bring him to the docks."

"Okay," the man said. "Then what?" He had known for a while now that his boss was less than happy with the way that Reggie had been handling his work assignments. Ralphie couldn't help but wonder what exactly Anthony Malucci had in store for the poor sap.

"Call me. I will handle the rest!"

While it was unusual in most circles for the higher ups in the organization to carry out their own hits, Anthony Malucci never followed the norm. He had been dispensing his own justice for some time now. He loved every minute of it. That's where Anthony knew that he had gone wrong with the whole Morgan deal. If he had wanted it done right, he now knew he had to do it himself. But first there was the little problem of disposing of Reggie. It would be the precursor to the main event. Anthony looked across the room at where Jason Morgan and his family stood with Elizabeth in the thick of it all. "Jason first, then I'll deal with you my dear," Anthony whispered sadistically.

"What was that boss?" Ralphie asked.

"Nothing. Just find Reggie NOW!!"

"You got it."

Anthony crossed the room closing the large gap between himself and his wife. He donned his best gentlemanly mask as he approached the group. "I really think it's time that we be going," he said his voice full of softness. Anthony rested his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder as he spoke. He took great care in noticing how that simple touch brought fury to Jason's eyes.

"The benefit isn't over," Elizabeth protested.

"I know, but it is winding down," Anthony offered. "Besides, I really think that we should be getting on to check on father."

"Is Rocco all right?" Joseph asked.

"No... Yes..." Anthony and Elizabeth said respectively.

"Well is he or isn't he?" Joseph raised his brow.

"He was feeling a bit tired from all the excitement. He went home to rest," Elizabeth explained.

"I see," Joseph nodded.

"I still would feel better if we went home to check on him. You know my father. He's never been a man to draw attention to himself. I think he's been downplaying the seriousness of his condition lately."

If those standing around him hadn't known Anthony for the man he was, he would have sounded like a child concerned for their parent's well being. Yet that wasn't the case in the least.

Jason watched as Elizabeth's eyes dropped to the floor. Anthony certainly knew how to play his wife. Bringing up Rocco and his ailing health was the fastest way to get Elizabeth to comply with most things. "I didn't realize that Rocco was feeling that poorly. He seemed a little more tired than the last time I saw him, but given the scale of the evening that's understandable," Jason said in the hope that he would bolster Elizabeth's thoughts regarding her father in law.

Anthony swallowed hard around the lump in his throat before he found the strength to speak. "I agree," he nearly choked. "but you can never be too cautious. I really think we should be going," he said again.

"She can't leave," Emily spoke up at Jason's persistent nudging. "We haven't paid the caterer or the band yet. There are a few things that we need to clear up as soon as all the guests have gone."

Joseph's gaze toggled between his son and daughter. He didn't like what he knew was going on between those two.

"She's right, Anthony," Elizabeth chimed in. "I really do need to stay."

"If you are that concerned about your father, then maybe you should go home and check on him," Jason added nonchalantly. He knew that Anthony had boxed himself into a corner with his worried son act and Jason took full advantage of the fact that Anthony would have no choice but to leave.

"How will you get home?" Anthony turned to Elizabeth.

"Zander and I can bring her home," Emily offered.

Joseph let out a heavy sigh at those words. His children were cohorts in crime again.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked as she played her part.

"It's no trouble. Is it Zander?" Emily questioned her soon to be husband.

"No," he said.

"Well then, it's settled." Emily was satisfied that she had done her part for her brother.

"Fine," Anthony said reluctantly. "I will see you at home?"

"Yes."

"When?" Anthony questioned his wife.

"In a few hours."

"Good-night," Anthony stated.

"Give Rocco my best," Joseph said to Anthony's retreating back. "Tell him that I will be calling on him in the morning." Joseph hoped that this would be the last time he would ever have to see Anthony Malucci alive.

"I owe you Em," Jason kissed Emily lightly on the cheek as they waited for Zander to bring the car around.

"I know you do!" Emily smiled as she jabbed Jason in the stomach playfully. "Jason," suddenly her voice took on a serious tone.

"Yes?"

"Please be careful."

"Always." Emily couldn't help but shake her head at that word. "I know what you are thinking," Jason stated. "I know that you think I haven't been careful at all when it comes to Elizabeth... ..."

"It's not that," Emily stopped him. "I know you love Elizabeth and she loves you. I probably knew that before either of you did," she chuckled. "But I also know what a snake Anthony is. If even half the things you think he's involved in are true, well, I'm just worried that... ..." Emily's voice trailed off as her mind played out so many scenarios. None of which had very good endings.

"Worried that what?"

"Just be careful. Both of you!" She stressed as Elizabeth joined them at the curb.

"It's under control Em." Jason kissed her again. He reached for Elizabeth's hand as they watched the taillights of Zander's car fade into the darkness of the night.

"Jason, are you all right?" Elizabeth questioned him as they made their way to his Porsche.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question? You still look a little pale to me." Jason stroked her alabaster skin. "Are you sure you are up to this?"

"I'm fine and please stop trying to change the subject."

"I wasn't," he objected as he opened the passenger door for her. Elizabeth slid easily into the supple leather seat uncertain of what thoughts plagued Jason's mind.

"Thank you," Rocco said to the younger man before him.

"So, we have a deal?" Reggie pranced his nerves raw from his exchange with Capo Malucci.

"Yes. I think it's time you were leaving," Rocco announced as he looked at the clock. Reggie wasted no time in complying with the request. He certainly didn't have any intention of accidentally running into Anthony.

Rocco made his way into the living room. He wished that the darkened room would swallow him whole. The statements he had just heard bounced around his head. Yes, they had been things that Rocco had known all along, but hearing them from an active participant, hearing of the sheer enjoyment his son gained from each and every action sickened Rocco beyond all comprehension. "I'm sorry," he said to the picture of his wife that rested on the sofa table. "I'm sorry to have to kill our son, but I don't have a choice... ..."

"Who are you talking to?" Anthony asked as he joined his father in the unlit room.

Elizabeth settled herself on the large leather sofa as Jason opened a bottle of champagne. "What are we celebrating?" she questioned as he crossed the room with bottle and glasses in hand.

"What a wonderful success tonight's event turned out to be," Jason smiled broadly.

"Oh, and here I thought we were celebrating our reunion," Elizabeth pouted.

"We can celebrate anything you want." Jason rested his body against hers. The instant they touched an electric shock shot through them both.

"Anything huh?" Elizabeth brought her mouth within inches of Jason's. Close enough in fact that he felt her hot breath tickle as she spoke.

"Uh huh." Jason nodded almost as if he was mesmerized.

"I like the sound of that." Elizabeth enjoyed the knowledge that she had the ability to render one of the most powerful men in the Morgan crime family helpless.

Jason reached for the fluted glass in her hand placing it on the glass table. Suddenly, Elizabeth was the one held captive by his intense gaze. It was though his ice blue eyes could see into her soul. There was no where to hide from his stare. Methodically, Jason traced the thin straps that held Elizabeth's evening gown in place, yet never taking his eyes from hers. His fingers followed the path of the dress' deep V neckline. Elizabeth's eyelids fluttered as the soft pulses created from his touch coursed through her body. "I love you," he whispered as his tongue suckled her earlobe. Elizabeth let out a deep moan as the tip of Jason's tongue made a path along her neck.

"What are you doing sitting in the dark?" Anthony asked as he turned on the table lamp.

"Thinking," Rocco said absently.

"I thought you were tired and you were going to bed?" Anthony hadn't expected to have to deal with his father. He would have preferred to wait alone for Ralphie's phone call. He didn't want to have to explain his sudden exit to anyone, especially not Rocco.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Rocco cocked his head to see passed his son.

"At the benefit."

"What?"

"She and Emily had a few things to take care of. I came home to check on you. Elizabeth led me to believe you weren't feeling well." Anthony assumed he might as well continue to play out his act for a little while longer.

"That wasn't necessary. I am fine. But since you are here there is something I would like to discuss with you."

"What would that be?" Anthony tried not to roll his eyes.

"I am sure you have a good idea."

"Not the Morgan family again," Anthony said in an irritated tone.

"Yes, yes the Morgan family again."

"What's my supposed crime this time?" Anthony's cocky manner infuriated Rocco.

"Should I recite the list?"

"List? What list? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Like you don't know, son. Please don't insult my intelligence with this act. Dumb doesn't suit you."

Elizabeth let herself get lost in the euphoria that Jason's caresses elicited in her. A giggle escaped her lips as Jason's hands ran long the sides of her stomach.

"Ticklish I see," he said in a devilish manner.

"Who me?" she laughed. "No, not me."

"I beg to differ." Jason pinned her body against the sofa cushions as he began tickling her wildly until tears spilled from Elizabeth's soft blue eyes.

"Uncle... ...uncle!!" she finally yelled between bursts of laughter.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered as he pushed a few stray curls away from her face. "Everything about you is breathtaking." Elizabeth blushed at his kind words. "You do things to me no other woman has ever done."

"Good," she purred. She couldn't, didn't want to imagine Jason with anyone but her. Effortlessly she drew the long black skirt that encircled her legs up around her hips. Again revealing her naked form.

"You are so bad," Jason said as he drank in the sight of her.

"I know," she grinned with mischievous seduction as each clip holding her hose and garter in place was unfastened and removed. Elizabeth slipped her hands into the waistband of Jason's tuxedo trousers. Easily her fingers grazed his bulging manhood. She watched as Jason's breathing quickened as she undid the button and slowly eased down the zipper.

"I refuse to continually defend myself!" Anthony barked.

"You wouldn't need to be constantly defending yourself if you would just know your place and stay there!!" Rocco returned with much more anger than his son expected.

"I don't have to listen to this!!"

"The hell you don't!!"

The sight of the gun in Rocco's hand stopped Anthony cold. "WHAT... ...WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?!"

"I think you know," Rocco stated calmly.

"No, I don't think that I do."

"Let me refresh your memory. Cassandra Morgan was nearly run down. AJ Morgan's wife miscarried their baby. Emily Morgan had her brakes fail and Jason Morgan was nearly blown to bits this afternoon in a freak warehouse explosion. Does that help your memory any?" Rocco reached for the arms of his wheelchair to steady himself. The anger that boiled in him forced his body to tremble.

Jason stopped Elizabeth. Her eyes instantly searched his for a reason. Gently Jason brought his lips to hers as a way to allay the fear he saw looking back at him. Without warning Jason scooped Elizabeth in his arms and carried her to his awaiting bed. Their desire for one another set the events in motion without much thought on either of their parts. Articles of clothing were deposited on the floor until they were naked.

Jason stared in awe of Elizabeth. Everything about her took his breath way. He never once expected to find anything like this in his life. The feelings and emotions that coursed through him had always been reserved for others. That had been true until he met Elizabeth. Jason had never once expected his heart to be ruling his life, but it was. The hardest thing about following his heart was that it had taken him to places he knew he shouldn't be. Places that were as frightening as they were exhilarating and as dangerous as they were alluring. Sometimes the heart even takes you to places that you know can never lead to a happy ending. Jason prayed that this wasn't one of those times.

"You think that I am responsible for all of those things??" Anthony gasped in mock disbelief.

"I don't think, I KNOW!!"

"You can't know something that isn't true."

"ENOUGH!! ENOUGH ALREADY!!" Rocco shouted. "Do you really take me for a fool? Do you really believe that I could let you get away with all of this? I told you before to steer clear of Joseph and his family, but would you listen? NO!!!" Rocco felt his chest tighten as the rapid fire of his words and accusations dropped from his mouth. "YOU WOULDN'T LISTEN. YOU NEVER LISTEN...NEVER..." Rocco gasped for air as Anthony stood watching and waiting for what was to come next.

"I've been listening father," he stated. "It's you who hasn't been doing the listening. What choice did I have? You weren't going to take action to get what was rightfully ours. So, I did," Anthony said secure in the knowledge that he did what he had to do.

"I hope it was worth the risk you took son because you have left me with no other choice." Rocco choked on his words. As much as he knew he had to end his son's life it pained him greatly. No matter what Anthony had done deep down Rocco still remembered the little boy who had been like his shadow for so many years. "I'm sorry," Rocco whispered as he pushed himself to a standing position his gun trained on Anthony.

"You wouldn't!"

"I will." With that remark a stabbing pain ripped through Rocco's chest crippling him. His hands fumbled through his pockets.

"Looking for this?" Anthony asked as he held his father's prescription bottle. The expression on Rocco's face conveyed his unspoken answer. "I thought so," Anthony sneered as he placed the bottle just out of Rocco's reach. "You underestimated me father. That will be you last mistake." Anthony left the room without even looking back.


	42. Chapter 41

Elizabeth turned and watched as Johnny's car faded into the distance. For her, leaving Jason was increasingly becoming more and more difficult. Her sham of a marriage to Anthony was weighing Elizabeth down.

She looked down at her watch. The time she spent with Jason hadn't been long enough for her. Elizabeth could have stayed wrapped up in his arms forever. Thoughts of their evening together danced in her head as she entered the foyer of the Malucci mansion. Those visions would have to be enough for right now.

Elizabeth walked up the hallway as she thought how strange it was at this hour of the night that the living room was brightly lit up. She imagined that Anthony was sitting on the sofa waiting for her to arrive home. Jason had said as much when he put her in Johnny's car earlier that evening. Elizabeth took a deep breath as she turned the corner and entered the room. The sight that met her eyes wasn't the one she had expected at all. "ROCCO!!!!" she cried as she rushed across the floor to where he lay in a heap. "Rocco?!?!" desperation filled her voice as her tears almost choked her. "HELENA...ANTHONY...ANYBOBY!!!!" Elizabeth felt for Rocco's pulse but there was none. "OH MY GOD...OH MY GOD...OH MY GOD!!!" She continued to cry as she cradled her father in law in her arms.

Anthony propped his feet up against the polished wood of his father's desk as he took a long slow drag from one of Rocco's Cuban cigars. He savored his victory. There was no one to stop Anthony from now getting what he wanted. He would no longer be relegated to the background. The greatness that the Malucci family had always been destined for was finally right within Anthony's reach. Elizabeth's tortured cries from the other room met his ears. "Well dear," he sneered, "it looks like it's just you and me now," Anthony cackled.

Countless tears rolled down Elizabeth's face as she stared into Rocco's eyes. The lump at the back of her throat grew larger with each passing second as her imagination ran wild. It was then she saw the prescription bottle perched on the edge of the table and Rocco's outstretched arm. "Oh," she sighed. It was obvious to Elizabeth that he had been trying to reach his medication. She choked on a new wave of tears as she pictured the hellish death that had taken her father in law. Elizabeth knew one day Rocco would pass away but she never expect it to be in such a horrible manner.

"Did you enjoy your evening?" Anthony's sedate voice broke the silence.

"What??" She was flabbergasted at her husband's non-reaction to his father lying lifeless on the floor.

"Did you manage to accomplish what you needed to? I know that I did," Anthony jeered.

"WHAT?!?!" Elizabeth cried. "Your father is dead!" she stated.

"I know," he replied nonchalantly.

"YOU KNOW!?!" Elizabeth's voice was a mixture of disbelief, anger and fear.

"Uh-huh," Anthony smiled.

Elizabeth felt her chest tighten with the knowledge that Anthony had a hand in his own father's death. It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room and she could no longer take a breath. The smug arrogant smile that he wore enraged her. "You...you just let him die!?!" Elizabeth shouted.

"I left him his medicine." Anthony pointed to the bottle still resting on the table. "It's not my fault he chose not to take it." Anthony almost sounded as if this was all a big joke.

Without warning Elizabeth bolted across the room slamming Anthony's body hard against the wall. The rage that consumed her brought out a brute strength that Elizabeth hadn't known she possessed. "YOU ARE A MONSTER!!!" she screamed. "YOU KILLED YOUR OWN FATHER!?!?!"

"Correction. I was protecting myself."

"WHAT?!?" Each statement from Anthony's mouth was more unbelievable than the last. "You were protecting yourself?!?"

"Yes."

"From Rocco? You were protecting yourself from a sick old man???"

"Don't underestimate my father, Elizabeth, or me for that matter," Anthony added slyly. "He was planning on shooting me in this very room. What was I supposed to do?"

"HELP HIM!?!?!?"

"Help him kill me?" Anthony chuckled to himself. "You really are deluded aren't you?"

Elizabeth's gaze toggled between Rocco and Anthony as all her disjointed thoughts besieged her. The concept of facing down her husband without Rocco's intervention frightened the hell out of her. What would happen now? Elizabeth thought to herself. In the recesses of her mind Elizabeth knew what her fate was to be. If Anthony virtually killed his own father, she was certain that disposing of her when the time came would be simple for him. The panic that engulfed her set her heart racing as she stumbled away from Anthony.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?!?!" he asked as he grabbed her firmly by the arms. "If you think you are going to run to Jason Morgan for help you are sadly mistaken. You think he can fix this for you?" Anthony snickered.

"Then why don't you just kill me and get it over with?!?!" Elizabeth yelled. She would have rather died right then and there than have to live with the fear of when and where Anthony would strike.

"Not just yet!"

"WHAT!?!"

"Right now you are far more useful to me alive."

Elizabeth understood what he was getting at without his having to state it. She would be his leverage against Jason and his family. "I won't be your pawn!" she huffed as she tried to wiggle herself out of his tight grip. "I won't play this game with you anymore!"

"You will do whatever I tell you to do!!" he seethed. "That is if you want your precious lover to continue breathing!"

Elizabeth clenched her teeth and pushed back the tears that stung her eyes. She couldn't let Anthony see any reaction from her. She couldn't let him know what was truly in her heart. "Lover?!?" she questioned him curiously. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"What, you think I am stupid? You think that I don't know about all those stolen moments between the two of you?" Anthony smiled sadistically. "I know Jason Morgan had been sleeping with my wife. Don't even try denying it." He stopped her as she began to speak.

"I think you are the one who is deluded now!" Elizabeth shot back anyhow. "Jason, Emily and I have been working very closely together for the benefit. It's nothing more than that!" Elizabeth stressed.

Anthony sneered as his wife's futile attempt at keeping her secret a secret. "Whatever you say dear," he patronized her. "NO ONE...I MEAN NO ONE will know what happened here tonight. Rocco died of heart failure nothing more! Do you understand me?!?" Anthony brought her face within inches of his own. "ANSWER ME ELIZZABETH!!!" he ordered.

"If I don't keep your secret?" she asked as she almost spit in his face. She wasn't about to go down without a fight.

"Then the next time Jason won't be as lucky as he was this afternoon."

"What? What do you mean won't be as lucky?"

"Just know that Jason Morgan is as good as dead if you don't play by my rules!"

Elizabeth's mouth suddenly went dry. Anthony wasn't leaving her any option except to follow along. Jason's life depended on it. Elizabeth's eyes were drawn to Rocco who was still sprawled on the floor. Tears welled in her soft blue eyes as she stared at the man who had been more of a father to her than her own had been. She couldn't fathom that he was dead. It was unreal at the moment. The idea that he would no longer be there as her confidant, friend or protector wasn't something Elizabeth could rationalize.

"ELIZABETH!!" Anthony's booming voice bounced around the room.

"You aren't going to just leave him there?" she barely whispered.

Anthony now too looked at his father lying on the oriental carpet. There wasn't even a flicker of remorse in his eyes for his role in this all. He had done what needed to be done to obtain the desired goal. "I want him to be found in the morning by one of the servants."

Elizabeth was aghast at the thought of Helena happening on Rocco in the morning. She couldn't imagine what that would do to the poor woman. "WHAT?!?!"

"You heard me. It will look he had a heart attack and nothing more. Do you understand me?" He yanked Elizabeth back against him. "Not a word... ...you hear me?!?!" Anthony was almost shaking her now. "You even think of letting what really happened to Rocco slip to Jason Morgan... ...both of you are as good as DEAD!!" he barked. "Let's go." Anthony tugged at her arm.

"Go?? Go where?"

"To bed. It's about time you started fulfilling your wifely duties." Elizabeth looked back at him in sheer horror. "WHAT?!? YOU CAN PUT OUT FOR MORGAN BUT NOT YOUR HUSBAND?" Anthony raged. "LET'S GO!!"

Elizabeth kept her eyes trained on Rocco. It was a though she believed her intense stare would somehow raise him from the dead. The time for Rocco to come to her aid had passed.

Jason shot straight up in bed as a cold chill passed through his body. A sudden urgency to get to Elizabeth engulfed him. He couldn't shake the sensation that she desperately needed him. He looked at the digital clock that sat beside him. The bright red numbers displayed 3:30am. At that time of the morning, Jason knew his hands were tied. There was no way he could call the Malucci mansion now or go there, which was all Jason really wanted to do. He couldn't stop the wave of nausea that overtook him suddenly. Jason laid his head against the cool surface of his pillow. The woman that held the strings to his heart and why he all at once knew she was in danger consumed his thoughts.

"Get undressed!" Anthony ordered. Elizabeth reached for her robe as she turned and headed in the direction of their bathroom. "No...no you don't." He stopped her. "Right here. Get undressed right here." Anthony pointed to the spot where she stood. "I want to watch." He grinned as he licked his lips. Elizabeth imagined that this must have been how his goomahs felt. "Come on...come on," he prodded. She stood affixed in position. She couldn't get a single muscle in her body to move. "Looks like you need some help my dear," Anthony said as he unbuttoned his own shirt.

Elizabeth bit the inside of her mouth as he easily lowered the zipper of her evening gown slipping it off her shoulders. She was nearly naked as the dress puddled on the floor at her feet. "My, my aren't we the little temptress?" Anthony sneered. He ran his hand along her inner thigh as his fingers grazed her femininity. Elizabeth tensed at his touch. "Don't do that!" he snarled. "Don't back away from me!"

Elizabeth felt the tears fall from her eyes as Anthony's mouth devoured each of her breasts, teeth scrapping her nipples. She did her best to picture Jason's face but through it all the image never came. She was only able to focus on Anthony and his lustful needs. She lay beneath him and felt almost as though she was watching what was taking place rather than participating in it all.

Anthony rolled over satisfactorily gratified. Elizabeth reached again for her robe all of a sudden she felt very dirty. All she wanted was to take a shower and wash away any remnants of Anthony's touch. "Just remember my dear," Anthony grabbed her arm once more. "Keep your mouth shut or Rocco's funeral won't be the only one you will be attending!"

Elizabeth ripped her arm from his tight grip and slammed the door to the bathroom. She leaned her body solidly against the closed door before slumping to the floor in a heap of sobs. Anthony had won. She knew it and more importantly so did he.

Jason sat at the breakfast table the following morning still filled with the same feeling of dread that had jarred him awake the previous night.

"Excuse me, Mr. Morgan," Rosa interrupted the conversation that was taking place between Joseph and Cassandra.

"Yes? What is it?" he responded.

"You have a phone call, sir."

"Joseph," Cassandra whined. She despised disturbances at mealtime.

"Bring me the cordless phone, please. I know Cassandra, I know," he turned to his wife to silence the words he knew would be hearing from her. "Thank you," he said to the young woman. "Hello... I see... yes, yes I understand...I agree...no, no we will attend."

"Joseph?" Cassandra questioned her husband as she watched his eyes cloud over with tears. "What is it?"

"Rocco died last night. Rocco Malucci is dead."

At those words Jason's silver fork clattered loudly against the bone china plate.


	43. Chapter 42

Elizabeth stood at the window and watched the flashing red lights of the ambulance and its screaming siren as it climbed the long drive to the front of the mansion. She sipped on her glass of vodka as the paramedics scurried about grabbing the necessary equipment and gurney. Elizabeth chuckled to herself. What a show this was she thought. Anthony had pulled out all the stops for this charade. She swallowed hard as she took another gulp of the clear caustic liquid. It burned a path down her throat into her stomach. Her tears fell continuously. Elizabeth was no longer even bothering to wipe them away. The effort was a fruitless one.

She listened as the voices of the paramedics, just beyond where she stood, confirmed what she had known last night. Rocco was dead. Those three words had a strangle hold on her. She heard Anthony let out a wail as he was given the news that there was nothing else that could be done for his father. That sound sickened her. He was playing his part so very well. Everything had fallen into place just as he had illustrated to her.

Rocco was indeed found slumped on the floor by a servant. Just as Elizabeth predicted it had been Helena. It had been the sounds of her screams of panic that propelled Elizabeth to the living room just as the sun crested the horizon. She stood at the entry to the room and imagined that she had reacted in the same way Helena was, yet for Elizabeth everything that had happened since leaving Jason's penthouse had been a blur, a series of whirling events she couldn't keep straight.

The sight of Rocco's body shrouded with a sterile white sheet being wheeled toward the ambulance made Elizabeth want to vomit. He was gone, truly gone. This wasn't just some bizarre, horrible nightmare. This was real, too real for Elizabeth. For all the months of knowing Rocco's condition had been weakening, it hadn't made it any easier to accept that he was gone to her forever. Gone forever because his very own son had been too cold hearted to stop the event from taking place. Elizabeth felt her stomach roll end over end as Anthony's arrogant admission taunted her. Why hadn't she just insisted on coming home with Rocco last night? Why had she let him talk her into staying at the benefit? Maybe she could have stopped this from happening, she thought as her guilt suddenly engulfed her. While she was pleasuring herself with Jason, Rocco was dying. Elizabeth felt all of a sudden suffocated by the thought that she was just as capable for Rocco's death as Anthony was. She had put her own needs, wants before those of a man who had been the one to enable her to have them in the first place. Rocco had been the one to set her up with Jason Morgan without evening knowing he had done it.

"Jason... ..." Elizabeth whispered as she brought the glass to her lips again. She wanted more than anything to be enveloped by his strong arms right now. How she would have given anything for him to be able to take this pain away. That was no longer an option for her. Anthony had seen to that. Elizabeth didn't doubt her husband's threats. They were certainly real and that terrified her. Last night her life had ended same as Rocco's. No she wasn't dead, but without Jason she might as well have been.

"Don't you think it's a little early in the day for that?" Anthony asked as he entered the room to see Elizabeth pouring herself another healthy dose of vodka. What he didn't know was she was working her way through her second bottle.

"No!" she glared. She could have crawled into that bottle and drown herself but it wouldn't make a difference. Nothing from that point would ever be the same. She wouldn't be the same.

"I need you sober for the funeral tomorrow!" Anthony yanked the glass from her hand almost spilling its contents on the ground. "Remember my dear you have a role to play. I want everyone to see a devastated daughter in law...." That wouldn't be too hard Elizabeth thought to herself. That description fit her perfectly. "...and devoted wife."

"Devoted wife?" Elizabeth scoffed.

"Yes!" Anthony stated firmly. "When the other families arrive here tomorrow, they can't see any sign of weakness in my ranks."

"Here? Did you say here?!?" Elizabeth was shocked.

"Yes. Rocco's memorial service will be held here tomorrow. He will be buried the following day in the family crypt next to my mother. I expect you to be on your best behavior. This isn't acceptable." Anthony waved the empty bottle of vodka in front of her face. "Don't even think of slipping up tomorrow. Morgan and his father will be here. I so much as see you even look at him all bets are off!"

"Here???" Elizabeth questioned again.

"YES!!" Anthony shouted angered by the fact that it appeared his wife wasn't grasping the gravity of his threat.

"Why here?" She had to ask.

"It's time that everyone understands that I am the head of the Malucci family now. I am the one to be reckoned with. I'm not the push over my father was... ..."

"Rocco was a wonderful man," Elizabeth countered in a whisper.

"Yeah, wonderful if you were one of his enemies. It's time that the other families understand that all the rules are about to change."

Elizabeth saw the determined look in Anthony's cold dark eyes. She knew that his vendetta against the Morgan family was just about to escalate. That scared her. She was frightened for Jason and his family. A family that even though she was not a part of she felt loyalty to.

"Not a word to Morgan you hear me?!?!" Anthony wrenched Elizabeth's body to face him. "Rocco's death was accidental. It was a horrible thing. You say anything contrary to that fact you and your lover," Anthony's emphasis on that word was like a thousand needles being pushed through Elizabeth's heart, "will meet a fate worse than my father could have ever imagined. I promise you that!" Anthony sneered as his mouth came down hard on hers. "You are mine now, all mine!! Now be a good wife and make sure breakfast is ready," he said as though it was just any ordinary morning.

"Everyone is in shock...." Elizabeth began.

"I don't give a damn! I want breakfast and the staff will do what I pay them to do. Nothing's changed."

Elizabeth left the room without another word as she headed to the kitchen. For her everything had changed.

Joseph stood alone on the balcony over looking the grounds of the Morgan estate. The idea that Rocco was dead still hadn't truly sunken in yet. His life long friend wasn't the person who was to be dead that morning. Yet that death left Joseph with a dilemma. Word was Anthony was still alive, well and grieving his father's passing. Joseph knew his hands were tied. Without Rocco, he wasn't able to act on their gentleman's agreement. The other families wouldn't stand for a hit on the heels of a death that hadn't been part of the bigger picture or at least a picture they had no clue was taking place. Joseph grabbed the stone railing and forced down the sobs that threatened to smother him.

"Joesph?" Cassandra's soft voice came from behind him.

"I can't believe he's gone," Joseph gasped.

"I'm sorry." Cassandra stroked his cheek softly. She knew this news had been hard on him. He and Rocco had climbed the ranks of their respective families together. Rocco had been the best man when she and Joseph were married. The notion that he was no longer on this earth was a hard pill to swallow even for her, so she could only imagine what it was like for her husband. "Why don't you come inside?" she asked.

"No. I need to be alone. I need to put my thoughts in order." Joseph's voice held a sudden edge to it. There wasn't time for his grief now. He had made promises to his friend and himself. Promises that Joseph intended on keeping. Keeping them though would take some precise timing, effort and a clear head.

"Joseph?" Cassandra questioned him again. She raised her brow curious about the sudden change in his demeanor.

"Would you arrange for flowers to be sent to the service and put a call into my secretary. No...no," he corrected himself. "See that Jason handles making a donations to the Coronary Care Unit construction from Morgan Enterprises in loving memory of Rocco."

"Joseph?"

"What?"

"You just lost someone very close to you. I think you need time to grieve. We have had a great deal of loss in the last few months. It's taking its toll on you, on us." Cassandra reached out and took his hand in hers.

"Could you please make sure those things are taken care of?" Joseph said as he ignored his wife's obvious remarks. He knew her words were true yet he couldn't allow himself to get caught up in all the emotions that surrounded Rocco's death. He had to keep a clear head. He had to keep his family safe. There would be time to grieve when that had been taken care of.

Jason paced from room to room as he tried to come up with some sort of game plan. With Rocco dead, he knew that Elizabeth was in danger. Rocco had been the one thing standing between Anthony and Elizabeth. With him gone, Anthony now had a clear shot at descending on his wife with all the force he could muster. That idea sent Jason into a state of panic. He had to find a way to check on Elizabeth. She couldn't have been coping with this all very well. Jason was well aware of how close she and Rocco were and there was no denying that she had to be taking his death hard. Jason headed down the hall toward Emily's room hoping to enlist her help once more.

"Jason," his mother's voice stopped him.

"Yes?"

"Your father isn't taking all this very well. Would you please speak with him?"

Jason looked into Cassandra's eyes. He surely knew that his speaking to his father wasn't about to do any good. If anything given the way they had been treating one another lately it would only serve to make matters worse. Jason's thoughts were centered on Elizabeth at the moment and he knew that wasn't what Joseph Morgan would want to hear. "Right now I think it's better to leave Papa alone."

"I disagree. He's hurting. He just lost a life long friend. He needs his family's support!" Cassandra was disappointed in her son's reaction.

"He has it. Papa knows that. When he's ready he will come to us...to you Mama. Be patient." Jason smiled.

"I just hate to see him in so much pain," she sighed.

"I know. I know." Jason placed his hand on her shoulder as if to reassure her that everything would be all right, even if he wasn't sure that he believed that himself.

"Your father would like it if you made arrangements for Morgan Enterprises to make another donation to the Coronary Care Unit in Rocco's memory."

"Certainly."

"Thank you," Cassandra said as she turned and headed away from him.

"Mama."

"Yes?"

"Don't worry."

"I'll try not to."

Jason waited until his mother was out of sight before he knocked on Emily's door. "Come in," a voice filtered through the closed door.

"I need a favor," Jason replied urgently.

"I wondered how long it would take you to ask me."

"Ask you what?"

"To call and check on Elizabeth."

"So, you'll do it?"

"Jason," Emily sighed, "I don't know if calling Elizabeth right now is such a good idea. I'm sure that everyone is in shock."

"That's exactly why I need you to check on her. She's probably going out of her mind right now. I need her to know that I am here if she needs me," Jason cried in desperation.

"Are you forgetting about Anthony? I mean really Jason, this isn't as simple as you are pretending it is." Emily attempted to be the voice of reason for her brother.

"I don't care!" he shot back at her.

"You need to."

"Call Elizabeth!" Jason forced. "Just offer your support...let her know that she isn't alone. God knows her bastard husband won't be doing that!" he growled.

"No Jason!" Emily returned forcefully.

"What?" He couldn't believe his ears.

"You heard me. No, I won't make the call."

"Make the call!" Jason shoved the phone in his sister's face. "You have been as instrumental in making this relationship work as Elizabeth and I have, little Miss Matchmaker," Jason jeered. "You owe me that much. You owe Elizabeth. MAKE THE DAMN CALL!!!"

Emily forcefully grabbed the phone from Jason's hand. She hated this side of her brother. The side that was purely driven, pure Mafia Underboss. "FINE!" she scoffed.

Helena jumped at the sound of the phone ringing beside her. The images of her boss sprawled out on the floor this morning plagued her. "Hello," the older woman's voice was shaky at best.

"Elizabeth Malucci, please," Emily said to the voice on the other end of the phone.

"I think Mrs. Malucci is resting."

"Resting?" Emily parroted what she had heard.

"Mr. Rocco passed away last night... ..."

"Who are you talking to!?!" Anthony's stern voice caused Helena to jump again.

"They want to speak to Mrs. Malucci... ..."

"Give me that!" Anthony ordered as he tore the phone from her hand. "Who the hell is this?!?!" he barked.

"Anthony?" Emily questioned. The mention of Anthony's name propelled Jason closer to where his sister sat. His heart raced as his thoughts ran wild.

"Yeah. Who is this?"

"It's Emily Morgan. We just heard about your father. I am so sorry." Anthony rolled his eyes as he offered his thanks. "I wanted to check on Elizabeth. I know from working with her on the benefit that she and Rocco were very close. I am sure she's taking his death hard."

"What's with you Morgans!?!" Anthony boomed. "This is my fucking family, NOT YOURS!!! I will take care of my own wife! MAKE SURE YOU TELL THAT BROTHER OF YOURS THAT!!!!" Anthony slammed down the phone before Emily had the chance to say anything more.

"He wouldn't let me talk to her," she said to Jason's questioning stare. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. It was obvious to her that Anthony wasn't as much in the dark about Jason and Elizabeth's affair as they had thought.

"What do you mean he wouldn't let you speak with her?!?" Jason's panic was evident in his voice and body posture.

"He said he would take care of his own wife... ..."

"TAKE CARE OF HER!?!?!" Jason's voice shot up several octaves.

"That's what he said," Emily confirmed.

"THE HELL HE WILL!!!" Jason rushed toward the door.

"Jason!!" Emily called to him. "What are you going to do? You can't just storm his house."

"The hell we can't!" With that Jason was gone in search of his father.

"We need to talk!" Jason forced the minute he caught sight of Joseph.

"Not now," the elder Morgan said absently.

"Yes now! Elizabeth's life depends on it!"

"Jason," Joseph sighed. The last thing he needed right now was his son's erratic behavior.

"What?!?"

"I have everything under control," Joseph said as he closed the door of his study in Jason's face.

"PAPA...PAPA...PAPA!!!" Jason's voice was thunderous as his fists crashed against the hard surface of the door that had just been so abruptly slammed in his face.

Joseph shut out the sound of his son's voice and concentrated on his business at hand. He picked up the phone and started a series of phone calls that would set it all in motion.


	44. Chapter 43

Jason and his family entered the large foyer of the Malucci Mansion. Immediately, his eyes scanned the surrounding area for Elizabeth. The ominous feeling he had ever since hearing of Rocco's death was only magnified by the knowledge that Anthony hadn't allowed Elizabeth to speak to Emily. Jason was certain that he needed to remove Elizabeth from her current situation before Anthony was able to harm her anymore than Jason was sure he had already done.

As Jason proceeded further into the room, his gaze fell on Elizabeth. She was seated next to Anthony receiving condolence calls from Rocco's many friends and associates. Jason stood frozen by the vacant expression she wore. It tore at his heart to know that the woman he loved more than his own life was in so much pain and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to take it away. The voice in his heart screamed for him to run to her and wrap her in his embrace, yet his feet remained rooted where he stood. Elizabeth lifted her eyes and they locked with Jason's. Instantly, she felt a wave of relief wash over here. All at once Elizabeth looked away as she recalled Anthony's well placed threats.

_".........Morgan and his father will be here tomorrow. I so much as see you look at him all bets are off........."_

Elizabeth shifted nervously in her seat. She could feel Jason's gaze trained on her. She fought every urge within her not to lift her head and look at him. Elizabeth focused her energy on those people passing before her. The endless line did little to stop her mind from swirling with thoughts of Jason. She wasn't able to sit there any longer.

"Where the hell are you going?" Anthony strained to keep up his appearance of the grieving son. He was anxious about the meeting between the families he had called for.

"To the ladies room. If you must know," Elizabeth whispered.

"That better be the only place you are going!" Anthony murmured in her ear as he leaned in and pretended to kiss her tenderly on the cheek. "Steer clear of Morgan! Do you understand me?" Elizabeth nodded as she bit her lower lip to hold back her tears.

"Excuse me." With those two simple words Elizabeth glided across the room only stopping for a brief moment at the bar. She hadn't even waited for the man behind the high mahogany surface to acknowledge her. Elizabeth reached for a glass and the three-quarters full bottle of vodka and fled the room that was suffocating her. She was relieved to find the balcony empty. Effortlessly Elizabeth poured the crystal liquid from the bottle and downed it without a moment's hesitation. For the last two days this had been her way of coping. The guilt at her part in Rocco's death devoured her whole. If she had been home that night, Elizabeth knew she could have stopped what happened. She wouldn't have let Rocco die. A sob caught in her throat as Elizabeth poured herself another stiff drink. How was she going to survive this? How was she ever going to live with herself? How was she going to live without Rocco – or Jason?

"Elizabeth," Jason's soft voice came up from behind her. She threw back he head and finished the remnants of the vodka in her glass never turning to look at him. She couldn't. She couldn't let Jason see the fear and guilt in her eyes."Elizabeth." Jason walked to the railing and stopped her from pouring herself another drink. "Are you all right? Emily tried to call you yesterday but Anthony wouldn't allow her to speak to you. I was worried about you," Jason sighed as his hand grazed her soft cheek. Instantly Elizabeth backed away from his touch. "Elizabeth?" Jason was noticeably confused.

"You shouldn't be here," she strained to control her cries.

"Why? Why shouldn't I be here? Elizabeth, you are the one who shouldn't be here."

"This is where I belong."

"WHAT?!?" Jason couldn't hide the shock at those words.

"You need to go back inside."

"Not without you. What's going on with you Elizabeth?" Again he attempted to stop her from lifting the bottle of vodka to her glass.

"Nothing." She jerked the bottle from his hand and filled her glass to the rim. Jason watched as she defiantly drank its contents.

"I need to get you out of here. With Rocco gone," Jason stuttered as he saw the tears fill her eyes. "I'm so sorry," he sighed, "but you can't stay here. I have a place for you to go. A place to hide you until I am sure that Anthony isn't a threat to you any longer." Jason took her hands in his. For a moment Elizabeth let herself be lulled into thinking that she could just disappear. That it could all just be that simple. That she could just let Jason whisk her away, yet nothing would be that simple again.

Elizabeth pulled her hands back. She knew that if she were to just drop out of sight Anthony would hold Jason responsible. Which would put Jason and the rest of his family in even more danger from her husband than they already were. As appealing as the idea was to run and hide with Jason, Elizabeth couldn't let herself be responsible for anymore destruction. "You should go," she instructed him again.

"I'm not going anywhere without you. Don't you understand that?" Jason sounded desperate and frustrated that he couldn't get her to see that she was in danger.

"My place is at my husband's side," Elizabeth nearly choked on those words.

"Excuse me?" Jason did a double take.

"Anthony needs me. For god sakes his father just died. I need to be by his side. We must preserve Rocco's legacy."

"Elizabeth?" Jason wasn't able to wrap his mind around the things she had just said. They made no sense to him at all. Yes he knew how much she adored Rocco but the sudden need to stand by her husband floored him.

"Jason, please just go. You need to go!"

"NO!!"

"Please... ...if you ever loved me you will just go!"

"Jason," Johnny's voice interrupted the beginning on an argument.

"What??" he barked.

"Your father is looking for you. It's time."

"I'll be in in a minute." He focused his attention toward Elizabeth again who had yet to turn and face him. "Elizabeth?" Jason reached out and stroked her back.

"You father is waiting," Johnny forced. Jason's eyes toggled between where he was expected to be and where he wanted to stay. His heart was torn. Elizabeth's behavior puzzled him to no end. Why was she suddenly so willing to play the part of Anthony's devoted wife? That made no sense to him. "Jason!" Johnny called again.

Elizabeth heard the clicking of Jason's heals against the stone of the balcony. When the door slammed signaling she was alone again, sobs wracked her body.

Anthony easily took the seat that had always been occupied by his father and watched the others file into the room. He was enjoying his position in the cat bird seat. He had waited to be the man in control for some time now. He planned on savoring every minute of it. He waited for each of the others to be seated. "Good afternoon gentlemen," Anthony began. "Given the unfortunate circumstances surrounding this meeting, I think it's time we discuss the division of power... ..."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Anthony," Joseph interrupted him.

"That's a first," Anthony laughed. "It's nice to see that you have finally come to your senses."

Jason sat beside his father clenching his fists at Anthony's disrespectful display. What angered Jason all the more was his father's nonchalant attitude to the remark. "What's this all about?" Jason barked unable to control his emotions.

"Jason," Joseph's tone was almost scolding in nature. "Let's give Anthony the floor. I would like to hear what he has to say."

"What?" Jason did little to hide his disbelief.

"Continue please," Joseph said to his friend's son.

"Thank you," Anthony smiled smugly as the hairs on the back of Jason's neck stood on end. His eyes darted sideways to stare hardly at his father. "As I said before, I think that the time has come for the power among the families to be distributed more evenly."

"Distribution has always been even," Carl Tejada remarked.

"Maybe for your family," Anthony countered. "With my father gone, I believe it's time that a renegotiation of sorts takes place between the Morgan family and the Maluccis.

"Anthony......" Michael Rossetti began.

"Let the boy speak," Joseph stopped the man across the table from him.

"What they hell are you doing?" Jason leaned in and whispered in his father's ear. Joseph artfully ignored his son's question.

"Thank you," Anthony smiled gleefully. If he had known it was going to be this easy, he would have taken action some time ago. "About our renegeotiation... ..."

"Yes about that," Joseph spoke. "I have it on good authority that the Malucci assets are to be divided among the remaining families." Jason's head shot up in shock at his father's words.

"WHAT?!?! What the hell are you talking about?" Anthony's delighted smile faded quickly.

"It was Rocco's wishes that upon his death the Malucci family operation was divided among the others in the organization." Joseph offered an explanation.

"LIKE HELL IT WILL!!!" Anthony bellowed as he rose from his seat.

"It's all stipulated in here." Joseph produced a thick envelope from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "Rocco made his wishes very clear. It's all there in black and white." Joseph laid the envelope on the table in front of him.

"Is this some kind of joke?!?" Anthony yelled as he reached for the envelope.

"Hardly, Rocco was very specific in his intentions. The Malucci family will no longer be a part of our organization."

"THE HELL WE AREN'T!!!" Anthony shouted as he fumbled with the thick envelope. There it was in black and white. The words that Joseph had just made known to all those seated there. There was his father's signature. Even in his death Rocco had been able to play one final trump card. Anthony squeezed the pages under his tight grasp. Without warning Anthony ripped the document to shreds before the eyes of the others.

"I have the original," Joseph stated.

"THIS IS MY HOUSE NOW!!! THIS IS MY MEETING TO RUN!!! I DON'T FUCKING CARE WHAT THAT PIECE OF PAPER SAYS – THERE WILL BE NO DIVISION OF POWER AND ASSETS!!!!" Anthony seethed. Peter Longhini, Carl Tejaga and Michael Rossetti watched as Anthony virtually came unglued before them. His ranting and ravings continued as he paced the room like a trapped animal. All of his paranoia about the Morgan family conspiracy spilled forth with vengeance. "You won't be rid of me that easily!!" Anthony hissed.

"Son," Carl Tejada began, "It's a difficult thing losing your father so suddenly... ..."

"TO HELL WITH THAT!!" Anthony barked. "It's them!!" He pointed in the direction of Joseph and Jason. "It's always them!!! If Reggie had just done his fucking job... ..." Anthony stopped himself but not before Jason had caught the tail end of the remark. Suddenly a light bulb clicked off in his brain. He recalled the frantic voice of the man alerting him to the bomb set to blow in the warehouse the other day.

"Anthony," Joseph's tone was strong. "You will obey your father's final wishes. He had his reasons for doing what he did and my instructions in carrying out his wishes were quite specific. Am I making myself clear?" Joseph's ominous comments were not lost on the others in the room. "As of today, the Malucci family is no longer part of our organization. You will still be afforded the same protection under the umbrella of the Morgan family but your decision-making powers will no longer exist. Gentlemen." Joseph directed the others toward the door leaving Anthony to stew in his own rage.

Jason did a frantic search of the funeral for Elizabeth. Given the bomb his father just dropped regarding the fate of the Malucci family, Jason was certain that his original idea of sending Elizabeth away until it was safe needed to be executed now more than ever. Not to mention that her earlier explanation of needing to stand by her husband wasn't sitting all that well with him. There she was near the bar nursing what Jason assumed had to be her hundredth drink. "We need to talk," he said as he took her by the arm.

"No we don't."

"What the hell has gotten into you?" he questioned.

"Nothing why?" she slurred.

"Elizabeth!" Jason shook her gently in the hope of sobering her up some.

"What?!?" The stale smell of vodka on her breath nearly bowled him over.

"ENOUGH!!" he yelled ripping the glass from her hand. "You are coming with me!" Jason ordered.

"NO!!" Elizabeth wiggled out of his grasp. "I can't... I can't," she cried.

"Yes you can. I will protect you!" Jason countered.

"Look where protecting me go Rocco... ..."

"What? What do you mean where it got Rocco?" Jason forced her eyes to meet his.

"Nothing – forget it, okay? Just leave me along. For your own good just GO!!!" Elizabeth screeched.

"I'm not going anywhere without you Elizabeth!" Jason held steadfast to his conviction.

"GO!! If Anthony can kill his own flesh and blood – his own father," Elizabeth gasped. "It won't take anything for him to kill you too!!"

"What?? What did you say?" Jason asked obviously confused by her statement. "Elizabeth, what did you just say?"

Over Jason's shoulder she saw Anthony emerge from Rocco's study. "You have to go Jason. We're done. It was a mistake ... ... all of it... ... you and me... ... it was all a big mistake."

Jason watched her tear through the crowded room. He was still trying to wrap his mind around her words. She had basically said that Anthony had been responsible for his own father's death. Could that have really been true? Was Anthony really that much of a monster that he would kill Rocco -- kill the man that had raised him? Jason's eyes rested on Anthony as he took his seat again and began receiving condolence calls once more. In his heart Jason knew the answer to those questions. Yes – Anthony had done exactly that. He had killed his own father. Jason's first thought was to go directly to Joseph with this information. He knew that his father would never have stood for Anthony having a hand in Rocco's death. Jason contemplated if addressing Joseph would gain him the desired response or if he would be hitting just another brick wall as he had been for months now. The name Reggie popped into Jason's mind once more. In his gut he knew that Reggie, whoever that man may have been, was the key to this all. It was time that this Reggie and Jason met.


	45. Chapter 44

Elizabeth sat quietly curled up on the window seat in the room she shared with Anthony and watched the parade of red taillights exit the long drive. Rocco's many friends had departed for the evening only to return tomorrow for the burial. Burial, that word brought tears to Elizabeth's eyes once more. Tomorrow would be the final day that she would ever look upon Rocco's kind face again. It mattered very little to her that he was Mafioso, mattered none to her that Rocco had been a force to be reckoned with in his day. All that stood out to Elizabeth was the man who had taken her under his wing, given her a home and protected her in a way that few could. How had she repaid him for such kindness? Elizabeth had known for weeks now how poorly he had been feeling. She knew that Anthony's continuous vendetta against the Morgan family had worn Rocco to a frazzle. Yet, she had let her own yearnings cloud her judgment. That blurred vision had cost Rocco his life. Elizabeth fought the tears that pooled in her eyes.

The Malucci family crypt loomed large in the distance. A shiver ran down her spine as she was forced to recall the events of the past few days. Each image was etched in her memory but now they all had begun to mix with one another until not a single one was recognizable. The loud slam of the bedroom door startled her. Elizabeth turned to see Anthony barreling into the room. She felt her stomach roll end over end. Elizabeth ran her hands across her face and tried desperately to show no expression whatsoever. It wasn't something easy for her to do. All she wanted to do was run and hide. Without Rocco she was virtually alone, at Anthony's mercy. Mercy was a concept that Elizabeth was sure her husband knew very little about. Was this what the rest of her life was to be like? Was she to cower in the shadows waiting for what her husband would do next?"

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!?" he barked angrily.

"Huh?" Elizabeth hadn't realized that she had been staring at him.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!?" Anthony closed the gap between them as he threw his black dress shirt on the floor.

"Nothing... ..." she stammered. Quickly Elizabeth stood up to put some distance between them again. "I wasn't looking at anything. I was just thinking about Rocco."

"Save your tears," he ordered as he watched her run her fingers under her eyes. "The show's over for the day," Anthony remarked callously.

"Show?" Elizabeth regretted opening her mouth the minute that single word escaped her lips.

"You heard me...ENOUGH!! I don't want to ever see you shed a tear for the man that's still raping me from his god damn grave!!" Anthony's thunderous voice echoed. His rage only served to bring forth more tears from her eyes. "ENOUGH I SAID!!!" His hand reached out and ripped at Elizabeth's hair causing her to wail in pain. "THAT BASTARD GAVE IT ALL AWAY... ... EVERYTHING. HE HANDED EVERYTHING TO JOSEPH!!" Anthony's voice was a hoarse whisper.

Elizabeth watched the fire building behind his eyes. It was that fury that terrified her. She silently begged for someone to come for her. She felt as though she was falling trying desperately to hold on to all that she once thought was safe.

"Well my dear," Anthony leered at her. "The last laugh will be mine. All of it will be mine! Morgan will be left with nothing, not his family, not his love." Anthony traced Elizabeth's quivering lip with his finger. "Hell maybe not even his life!" he cackled as he made his way across the room for the master bath.

Elizabeth stood frozen unable to cry, unable to move, unable to even think. How had she ended up here? How had she gone from a young woman with so much potential to a woman doomed? Those questions propelled her to seek solace the only place she knew where to find it these days. "Mrs. Malucci?" Helena's voice stopped Elizabeth's hand as she reached for the bottle of scotch behind the bar.

"Oh!" Elizabeth gasped.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Malucci. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Helena, please call me Elizabeth." She couldn't stand the sound of her title. Suddenly it was more like the sound of fingernails being scrapped against a chalkboard than ever before.

"Yes, Mrs.....Elizabeth. Can I get you something? Maybe a cup of tea?" Helena would have suggested almost anything but the amber liquor that the young woman almost had in her hand. It hadn't gone unnoticed to Helena how much alcohol that Elizabeth had consumed in the past few days. While she herself would admit to having several stiff drinks the morning she found Rocco, there was something about Elizabeth's decent into the bottle that worried Helena immensely. "It might help you sleep," the maid added when Elizabeth hesitated.

"Okay," she agreed not really feeling up to an argument.

"Here sit down." Helena pointed to one of the barstools. "It will only take a few minutes for the water to boil. How are you doing miss?" she asked tentatively.

"Like everyone, still in a state of shock."

"I am going to miss Mr. Malucci a great deal. He never treated me like a servant. That's rare."

"Rocco was an extraordinary man." Elizabeth heard the quiver in her voice she fought the tears she was told she was no longer allowed to shed.

"You meant the world to him," Helena offered. "He talked about you as if you were his flesh and blood."

Helena's words of Rocco's adoration for her only made Elizabeth feel all the more horrible. "He was like a father to me as well," she whispered.

"Here you are." Helena placed the steaming mug before Elizabeth.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Please try to get some rest. Would you like me to call the doctor and ask him to give you something to help you sleep?"

"That won't be necessary," Elizabeth replied. "Thank you again for the tea."

"Good night then," Helena said. She stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder at Elizabeth sitting alone in the nearly dark room. Helena's heart broke for the poor woman. She knew Elizabeth was in for a tough life now. Servant or not, Helena had watched from a distance and was certain that everything for Anthony's wife was about to change.

Elizabeth wrapped her hands around the warm mug and padded her way through the empty house. Her eyes were drawn to the balcony. Immediately the image of Jason bombarded her. The agony in his voice and the pained expression on his face as she pushed him away blinded her. That had been the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life, besides saying goodbye to her own mother. The searing ache in her chest had grown by leaps and bounds that afternoon.

_'We're done. It was a mistake......all of it ... you and me ...it was all a bit mistake......'_

What a lie those words had been. Elizabeth set her mug down on the bar and filled it to the rim with scotch before she continued out onto the balcony. The summer breeze was warm as it skirted past her. Elizabeth closed her eyes tightly and replayed her scenes with Jason that afternoon a thousand times in her mind. Yet no matter how she played them the outcome was always the same. Jason always ended up on the wrong end of Anthony's gun.

"If you are thinking of jumping it's not high enough to do any real damage," Anthony sneered. "You think by coming out here you can hide from me? You can't. There isn't anywhere on this earth I wouldn't find you."

"Your point?" Elizabeth asked as she longed for another stiff drink rather than the scotch diluted by luke warm tea.

"You're mine. Every inch of you is mine." Anthony wrapped his hands around her slender waist. "So you better get used to it! Let's go to bed."

Elizabeth let herself be lead into the confines of the house. There was no fighting this anymore. She didn't have any fight left in her. The idea of throwing herself off the balcony suddenly became a very appealing one.

_'If Anthony can kill his own flesh and blood – his own father. It won't take anything for him to kill you too!!'_

Jason lay awake staring at the ceiling as those words circled his brain like a freight train out of control. Nothing he did enabled him to tame his mind. Slowly slings and arrows were killing him inside as the thoughts of Elizabeth living under the same roof as Anthony ate away at him. It was a roof that no longer held the person who was her buffer. Without Rocco, Elizabeth stood little if any chance at all against Anthony.

Jason didn't care what she said that afternoon. He couldn't believe that after all they had shared together that she had meant any of those words. Deep inside him, deep within his blood Jason knew that Elizabeth loved him nothing she said would change that. He looked at his watch. It was nearly morning. He had spent the better portion of the night trying unsuccessfully to locate the elusive Reggie, whoever the hell he was. Jason's gut screamed to him that for one reason or another Reggie was the key to everything. He was the key to bringing Anthony to his knees. All Jason had to do was find him and convince Joseph. Jason was unsure which would be the harder of the two tasks.

"You are up early," Joseph commented to his son as he joined him in the kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Me either. Listen Jason, there is something I would like to discuss with you," the older man began.

"So would I. We can't leave Elizabeth alone with Anthony. She isn't equipped to handle him!" Jason blurted out.

Joseph expelled a heavy sigh. He understood Jason's concerns for he had concerns of his own regarding Elizabeth's safety yet each step that had to be taken was a delicate one, not one with a battering ram. "I understand your concerns... ..."

"Concerns?? Did you even notice how devastated she is by Rocco's death? Did you happen to notice that she is living on vodka or whatever liquid comfort gets her through the day?" Jason's anguish was self-evident.

"Jason, I assure you that Rocco made provisions for Elizabeth's safety....."

"What about keeping her safe from herself?" Jason cried.

"Things are completely under control."

"Nothing is ever 'under control' when Anthony Malucci is involved. I can't let you play with Elizabeth's life like this. I can't just sit by and assume that things are being handled."

"That's exactly what you will do!" Joseph countered authoritatively.

"God help you Papa, if anything, I mean anything happens to her...I am no longer playing by anyone's rules but my own!!!" Jason stormed from the room leaving his father speechless.

Joseph rubbed his hands against the tight muscles in his neck as he closed the door to his study. Jason's distress regarding Elizabeth was well placed and Joseph knew it. He hadn't been oblivious to her drowning her sorrows in alcohol as Jason had thought. Joseph hadn't missed the staunch fear he saw in Elizabeth's eyes every time Anthony entered a room. Just as much as Jason wanted to whisk her to safety, Joseph wanted to do that as well. Yet at that very moment it couldn't be done – not for his and Rocco's plans to come to fruition. The last leg had been set in motion the previous evening. Joseph would have savored his victory quite a bit more if it hadn't come on the heals of such a great sorrow in his life. He would miss his friend terribly and maybe one day Joseph would look back on his triumph and smile but that wouldn't be anytime soon. Joseph picked up the receiver and dialed hoping that Rocco was correct in who he could and couldn't trust.

"Malucci residence."

"Helena?"

"Yes? Who is this?"

"A friend of Rocco's."

"I'm sorry, you mustn't have heard Mr. Malucci died a few days ago."

"I know that."

"Would you like to speak with Mr. Malucci's son?"

"No. It's you who I would like to speak with."

"Who is this?" Helena asked again.

"Are you alone?"

"No."

"There's a man with you, isn't there?"

Helena looked to the corner of the kitchen and indeed there was a man in a black leather jacket poking around her cookie jar. "Yes," she answered.

"Besides him, are you alone in the room?"

"Yes. Who is this?" she demanded.

"I will tell you but there can be no expression of surprise pass over your face. This is Joseph Morgan."

"Excuse me?"

"The man in the kitchen with you is Marco. He is there to be sure that Anthony doesn't get out of line. He will be my lookout and your go between."

"What?" Helena couldn't hide her confusion. None of this was making any sense to her in the least bit.

"Rocco made arrangements for his daughter in law to be protected. I am the one to see that that protection is carried out. I will be doing that with your help. Rocco said that I could trust you, that you were loyal to him and that you would be loyal to me as well."

"I don't understand."

"I realize that this is a shock, I am sure. But your only concern is looking out for Elizabeth. If anything seems off or out of sorts to you report it to Marco and he will get the information to me."

"If Anthony catches me... ..."

"He won't. Marco will see to that. This is my one and only call to you, Helena. One last thing."

"Yes?"

"We never had this conversation. Do you understand?"

"Yes – yes I do." Helena placed the receiver in the cradle and looked across the room at the man sent to protect them and wondered if just one man would be enough.


	46. Chapter 45

Elizabeth sat across the limo seat from a man who had virtually become her shadow in the last several weeks. No matter where she went he was there. Sometimes he lurked around corners thinking he was out of her scope of vision and other times he was so close Elizabeth could almost feel him breathing. The feeling itself was unnerving. It was like Anthony had this man playing games with her already fragile mind. "Stop the car," Elizabeth instructed the driver.

"No!" the man corrected.

"I said stop the car!" she ordered again. The limo driver's eyes darted between the two. He watched and waited for what was to come next.

"We are not to make any stops," Anthony's henchman offered.

"We are stopping!" Elizabeth forced. "I would like to stop for lunch or does my husband have some problem with that concept?" she spat. Being outside the boundaries of the Malucci compound gave her a bit more tenacity.

"We are expected home. I am sure that Helena would be glad to fix you lunch when we return." The man remained steadfast in his orders. Anthony had agreed to let Elizabeth go into the city to shop for a dress for Emily Morgan's upcoming wedding, but there was to be no deviation from the plan.

"Helena has more important duties to oversee at the mansion. She can't be expected to just drop them for me, besides I would like to go to Gino's. I want pizza," Elizabeth stated.

That simple sentence brought back a flood of memories. She and Emily had been heading out for pizza the day that the brakes had failed on Emily's Volvo. Scene by scene the images flashed before her. Elizabeth pressed her hands hard against the leather seat to stave off the tears as the recollection of she and Jason together in the emergency room washed over her. Jason professing his love to her as he held her tightly was one of the few memories that brought her comfort amidst her private hell.

"Mrs. Malucci," the man began, "we need to get home... ..."

"NO!" Elizabeth didn't want to go home. Home was the last place she wanted to be. Without Rocco there, it wasn't a home to her any longer. It was a prison and Anthony was her warden.

The large man eyed his charge carefully. The determination in her posture was clear. She would have been happy to continue the argument until she had gotten what it was she wanted. Finally he relented. "I should make the change in our plans known to Mr. Malucci," he said as he reached for the phone.

"Fine." Elizabeth smiled slightly please with the fact that in her mind she had won a tiny little victory. "I would appreciate it if you sat at a different table," she said to her ever-present tail when they reached the restaurant. "I would like to eat my mean in peace. She pointed to a table that was directly behind the one she was now seated at among the many that lined the sidewalk in front of Gino's East. The activity on the street was busy and Elizabeth wanted to watch and get lost in the normalcy of the lives all around her.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he remarked.

"Why? Are you afraid I am planning some great escape?" she mocked. "You could tie me to the chair like a dog," she scoffed.

"I don't think so," the man answered sarcastically as he took a seat at the table she directed him to.

Elizabeth sat quietly drinking in her surroundings. The goings on around her only served to heighten her feeling of isolation. On the outside she looked as normal as those who hurried passed her on the sidewalk but on the inside Elizabeth knew she would never be like any of them again. "Thank you," she remarked to the waitress as the large pizza pie was placed in front of her. "Be sure you give my friend there," Elizabeth pointed behind her, "a plate. He will be eating too. And bring me another bottle of Penn Pilsner please." Elizabeth waved the empty amber colored bottle before the young woman's eyes.

"Sure thing," the waitress answered as she collected several other empty bottles from the table. Elizabeth continued on with her meal occasionally looking over her shoulder in the hope that her _'friend'_ had somehow vanished. With each turn of her head though she found he was still there, still watching and waiting for her to make one false move that he could report back to her husband. The pressure of it all had worn Elizabeth into a state of weariness.

"Elizabeth?" Jeff's voice startled her.

Instantly Anthony's stooge stood up. "Easy ... down boy," she chided as if he was her pet. "This is my father, Jeff Webber. Dad this is Marco."

"Nice to meet you," Jeff offered his hand to the large man before him yet he received no response.

"Would you like to join me?" Elizabeth asked much to Jeff's surprise and her own.

"I'm on my way to a meeting actually. I need to finalize some things for my upcoming debate."

"Just for a few minutes," Elizabeth pressed. Jeff scanned his daughter's face as he tried to surmise the abrupt change in her attitude toward him. Elizabeth searched her own mind for a reason that she was suddenly so elated to see the man who had damned her to her current life. The only explanation she was able to come up with was that she was incredibly lonely. Anthony had her every move mapped out for her. He told her when and where she was allowed to go, whom she was allowed to go with – Elizabeth's tiny circle of acquaintances had been reduced to the house servants and the men Anthony had continually tracking her every move. Her father's face, as much as she despised the man for all he had done to her, was a welcome relief. That thought itself illustrated to Elizabeth how low she had sunk. "Would you like a drink or something to eat?" she asked making tedious small talk.

"No thank you," Jeff replied. "Elizabeth, I really don't have time to sit and chat. I need to be getting to my meeting. Did you need me for something?"

She let out a small sigh. Jeff never failed to disappoint her when it came to how self-absorbed he was. That disappointment suddenly morphed into anger as she raised her hand indicating to the waitress she wanted another bottle of beer. "Sorry to have kept you," she jeered as she brought the long neck bottle to her lips.

"What's gotten into you?" Jeff questioned. "Beer? A lady of your standing doesn't drink beer." Jeff appeared to be mortified by her choice of alcohol rather than the apparent fact that his daughter had already had one too many that afternoon.

"Lady of my standing?" Elizabeth mocked him.

"Yes."

"Standing – there is no more standing!" Elizabeth quipped.

"Excuse me?" Jeff was obviously confused by her remark.

"I'm sure you heard me."

"What are you talking about Elizabeth? You are Anthony Malucci's wife. I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate the spectacle you are making of yourself."

"He has other things to be concerned with." Elizabeth almost laughed as her husband's tirade sprang to mind. For her it was poetic justice. If she couldn't have Jason – couldn't have happiness, at least Anthony wasn't able to get his fingers on his heart's desire either.

"ELIZBETH!" Jeff barked at her. He was angry that she had taken to speaking in riddles.

"What?" she returned innocently.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"I am talking about the fact that you have lost your strong arm." Elizabeth continued to answer evasively.

"ENOUGH!!" Jeff reached over and grabbed his daughter hard by the arm. Immediately Marco came from where he had been sitting silently listening to their exchange. "What – what the hell are you doing?" Jeff asked as Marco's hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"I could ask you the same question," the large man said.

Without a second thought Jeff dropped Elizabeth's arm. She tilted her head sideways and looked at Marco out of the corner of her eye. His reaction to her father's manhandling wasn't what she expected but was thankful for it just the same.

"Elizabeth, would you please care to explain yourself? You aren't making much sense." Jeff's tone was soft now.

"There isn't much to explain really," Elizabeth answered as she took another long gulp from her bottle of beer. "The Malucci family isn't in 'the business'," Elizabeth lifted her hands in the air to show off mock quotes to encircle those two words, "anymore."

"What do you mean not in the business anymore?"

"Just that. When Rocco died, he made provisions for all of the Malucci assets to be divided between the other families. So it looks like your well of money and power just went dry," Elizabeth stated matter a fact.

Jeff's brain was suddenly spinning out of control. Everything he had been working on up until now hinged on his alliance with the Malucci family. If there was no longer a Malucci 'family' in the sense that Jeff had grown accustomed to, where did that leave him and his political career. "This can't be happening," he finally gasped.

"It is," Elizabeth enjoyed watching the balloon that carried her father's dreams deflate right before her eyes.

"I need to talk to Anthony right away," Jeff said with noticeable panic in his voice.

"Talk all you want. It's not going to change a damn thing. It's done. The Morgan family," the mere sound of anything remotely connected to Jason brought a lump to Elizabeth's throat, "is in charge of it all now. Anthony is nothing more than a figure head, if he's even that," Elizabeth chided.

"Let's go!" Jeff instructed. "I need to see Anthony right now."

"What about your meeting?" Elizabeth mocked him once more.

"To hell with the meeting. I need to speak with your husband right now. I need to do some kind of damage control. I need to do it quick. Let's go," he said again.

"I don't think so." Marco stood between them.

"I can take my daughter back to the mansion. Your driving services are no longer necessary. We have a great deal to discuss," Jeff stated.

"Elizabeth is to returned home with me and no one else." Marco sounded as if he was a robot reciting some pre-recorded message. "You can follow us in your own car if you like."

"Elizabeth?" Jeff looked at his daughter who was standing just beyond the man doing all of the talking now.

"I will see you at the house, father." She knew that as much as she would have liked to go with him, if only for the escape, Marco wasn't about to let that happen. It was useless to argue over it.

Elizabeth found herself again sitting across from Marco in the limo. She watched as the streets of Chicago whizzed by. It wasn't until the car stopped for a red light that Elizabeth let herself look at the large building beside her. The building was the Drake Hotel. She felt her eyes drawn to the upper floors of the building. Vaguely she wondered if Jason could possibly be there at that exact moment looking down onto the city street where she sat. All of the times that they had spent together in his penthouse descended on her with blunt force. Every part of her body ached for Jason. She physically felt as though she was dying a slow death without him. As the light turned green and the limo crawled through the congested street, Elizabeth reached for the mini bar and poured a drink from one of the tiny bottles.

"Mrs. Malucci," Marco began, "You have had enough don't you think?" he asked placing his hand on hers as to stop her from taking her first sip.

"You're job is to watch me. It's NOT to tell me what to do!" Elizabeth shot back angrily. Marco withdrew his hand and let her continue to drown her soul.

The rather harsh voices from behind the door to the room that had been Rocco's study couldn't pull Elizabeth's attention from the ivory envelop that sat on the table in the foyer. She picked it up and let her fingers run over the raised black letters. Without even looking Elizabeth knew it was the invitation for Emily and Zander's wedding. The event was but a few days away. They had sent their RSVP months ago, before Rocco's passing, and it was hard to imagine that she and Anthony were still attending.

The thought of seeing Jason was a double-edged sword for her. There was a large part of her that would have given anything to see him, even if it was only from a distance. But the fear of what Anthony had up his sleeve for wanting to still attend a joyous gathering of a family he despised rendered her terrified. She was just as frightened of seeing Jason and not being able to disguise her true feelings for him – something that would only add fuel to Anthony's already brightly burning fire.

"I SAID I WOULD HANDLE EVERYTHING!!" Anthony's irate voice spilled into the silent foyer startling Elizabeth.

"I have a great deal riding on this." She heard her father say.

"AND I DON'T?" Anthony demanded.

"I'm not saying that you don't ... ..."

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!" Anthony bellowed as he pushed Jeff toward the door. Elizabeth attempted to slip into the living room undetected, but Anthony wasn't about to let that happen. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU TELL HIM!?"

"Nothing," she stammered trying to pull her hands out of his grip.

"LIKE HELL, YOU TOLD HIM NOTHING!!"

"I swear I didn't tell him anything!" Elizabeth cried.

"How's he know about Morgan having all the power?!" Anthony questioned as he pinned her body between himself and the wall.

"I don't know... ..." she stuttered.

"WHAT ELSE DOES HE KNOW?!?" Anthony and Elizabeth were now nose to nose. She felt her body quake in fear. In her anger at her father Elizabeth had stepped over a line she knew she shouldn't have crossed.

"Nothing," she said again.

"Let's get one thing straight," Anthony whispered violently in her ear. "If you can't keep your fucking mouth shut," he grabbed her cheeks with enough force to cause her to wince in pain. "Jason dies while you watch!!" he cackled. "Do you understand me Elizabeth?" She was only able to nod her head in response. Elizabeth feared if she were to open her mouth the only thing that would escape would be the sobs that she had held captive within in her for weeks now. "Good girl," Anthony said as he patted her on the head in the most patronizing way.

Elizabeth barely waited for him to be gone before she poured herself a double shot of scotch. Her hands were shaking so badly that she hardly was able to bring the bottle to the glass without spilling its contents on the lacquered surface of the bar. Upon accomplishing the task Elizabeth downed the firewater while Helena looked on.

"Whatever you are going to do Mr. Morgan you best do it soon," Helena said aloud to herself before she entered the room in a vain attempt to offer some sort of comfort to a young girl who was a mere shadow of her former self.

Joseph listened to the hustle and bustle of preparations that were taking place just beyond the door. His daughter's wedding was only days away and he was barely involved in any of it. His mind was so focused on Anthony's downfall that he couldn't even enjoy Emily's excitement. He and Jason were hardly on speaking terms. Either was lucky if they grunted at the other at the dinner table, which served to bring about a wave of arguments with his wife. No matter which way Joseph turned at the moment his life was in a complete shambles.

"Excuse me Mr. Morgan." A voice disturbed his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"You have a phone call sir."

"Who is it?" he asked.

"A. Mr. Webber."

Joseph let out a heavy sigh. "Tell him that I am not available."

"He was quite adamant about speaking with you, sir."

"As I am adamant about NOT speaking with him," Joseph stressed. "Tell Mr. Webber I have nothing to discuss with him."

"Yes sir."

Joseph opened the center drawer of his desk and retrieved a manila folder. The information that had been complied so far on Elizabeth's father was anything but glowing. Joseph felt the bile rise into his throat as he thought of all the offenses Jeff Webber had perpetrated against his daughter. It sickened Joseph beyond all comprehension. There was one last piece of information that Joseph was waiting on then the comfortable life that Jeff had made for himself at the expense of his daughter was all about to change. Bringing down Jeff Webber hadn't been part of Rocco and Joseph's original plan but the more and more he researched Jeff's exploits the more Joseph knew he couldn't just let Jeff walk away from all of this unscathed.


	47. Chapter 46

Jason stood looking at his reflection in the mirror. He straightened his black bow tie again and deluded himself with the notion that this would be how he looked on his own wedding day. It was a day that was never to be for him. Jason let out a labored breath. His impatience with his father and his own thwarted efforts at finding the elusive Reggie, if the man even existed, were wearing Jason down. Each day that he accomplished nothing was another day Elizabeth had to be subjected to the likes of Anthony. It had been weeks since he had been able to see or even speak to her. When he had dialed the number he had for her cell phone, his effort was met with a recorded message saying that the number was no longer in service. Jason had gone as far as staking out the civic organizations that Elizabeth belonged to but he had come up empty handed in those avenues as well. It was literally as though she had dropped from the face of the earth. Given who Jason was dealing with that idea wasn't far off the mark and that terrified him.

Jason dropped his heavy body onto his bed as he searched for a way to pull it all together for his baby sister. This was Emily's big day. It was a day that both she and Zander deserved. It wasn't Jason's place to shroud the joyous occasion with his own misery. As difficult as it would be for him, Jason pasted on a happy face as he left his room to join the rest of the family and the photographer. The voices of Joseph and Cassandra from behind the half-closed door of the study halted him. "I can't believe you arranged a date for Jason without even asking him." Jason heard his father say.

"Anya is a lovely girl. She comes from a well-respected family... ..."

"That's not the point, Cassandra." Joseph interrupted his wife.

"That's exactly the point. It's time that Jason begins to get his life back in order. It's time that we all do," she stated simply.

"If only it was that uncomplicated my dear," Joseph sighed. Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mother had arranged for him to escort a woman he didn't even know to his sister's wedding. The entire idea of it was preposterous. "Jason is never going to go along with any of this," Joseph stated.

"He will if you go tell him to. You're his father, his boss," Cassandra spoke with double meaning. "He will have no choice but to do as you ask."

Joseph ran his hands along his weary face as he wished that the simplistic statement his wife had just made were true. Yes, there had been a time when Jason would have followed his orders to the letter but that time had long since passed. Joseph's orders and wishes no longer mattered. It was the affection, love that Jason held for Elizabeth Malucci that was the driving force for each and every one of his son's actions. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," Joseph remarked. "Jason has a mind of his own."

"Joseph, Anthony and Elizabeth Malucci will be attending Emily's wedding today. I will not have another scene like the one at the engagement party ruining the day!" Cassandra stated sternly. "It's time that Elizabeth Malucci understands she had no future with our son... ..."

Jason suddenly felt like a speeding bullet had pierced his chest. The burning ache radiated from his heart, down his arms until it filled his whole body. "YOU INVITED ANTHONY INTO OUR HOME!?! YOU INVITED HIM TO EMILY'S WEDDING?!?" Jason thundered into the room without warning taking both his parents by surprise.

"Jason, son, calm down," Joseph began.

"NO! I AM NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN!!"

"Rocco and his family replied to the invitation long before his passing," Cassandra said. "I couldn't very well tell Anthony and his wife that they were no longer welcome."

"I DON'T WANT MALUCCI IN THIS HOUSE!!" Jason bellowed. "I don't want to watch him gloat... ..."

"Gloat!?" Cassandra turned to her husband confused by Jason's words. "Gloat? What does he mean by gloat?" she asked.

"Don't you think it's time that you were seeing to Emily?" Joseph questioned. He needed some time alone with his son. He needed to finally make Jason understand what was actually going on.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes. She hated being dismissed in such a manner. "As a matter of fact I do," she huffed as she exited the room.

"Jason, can we please at least attempt to be civil to one another today? This is Emily's day. It's a day that shouldn't be tainted by our feuding," Joseph appealed to his son's devotion to his sister. Jason paced the floor before his father. In a little over two hours Elizabeth would be under his roof. He would be able to see her, to speak to her, and perhaps even touch her. For one brief moment he was almost giddy, yet it was the realization that she would be on Anthony's arm and not his own. That shattered the illusion for Jason. "Son," Joseph came forward and placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. "I know you are hurting... ..."

"You don't know a damn thing about me!" Jason seethed. "I am beginning to wonder if you know anything at all!!"

"I know more than you give me credit for!" Joseph countered defensively. "You expect me to be handling things with rouge abandonment. You want action, but son you aren't willing to play by the rules to get it. Your heart is leading you instead of your sense of good judgement." Joseph almost was pleading with his son.

"The rules no longer apply."

"The hell they don't. They have always applied."

"Not to Anthony!"

"So what, you now want to be drug into the depths where Anthony Malucci lives? You want to lower yourself to the likes of him to win?"

"If need be."

"Then son, you aren't any better than he is. And that's not the son I raised!"

"I don't give a damn anymore! If I have to play dirty to save Elizabeth than that's exactly what I intend on doing. With or without your help," Jason said calmly.

"You won't be doing that today! I will not tolerate any scene at your sister's wedding! I don't care what you think of me as a man, or even what you think of me as the head of this family but as a father I won't stand for your selfishness ruining this event. Am I making myself clear?!"

Jason was silent as he mulled over those words. It was true he had little respect for his father's power these days. No matter how he felt about Joseph and his lack of taking action when it was necessary Jason knew the his father was right. This day belonged to Emily and Zander. They deserved a wedding unmarred by his tirades.

"Jason?"

"This is for Emily and only Emily," he stressed.

"Fine. Your mother arranged for you to have a date for the day... ..."

"So I heard," Jason cut him off.

"Anya Summers is coming here today expecting to be escorted by a gentleman. Do you think that you can handle such a task?"

"I am sure that I can."

"Good. I think it's about time that we got to taking those photographs," Joseph said as he walked passed his son.

Elizabeth walked to the large front entry of the Morgan mansion on her husband's arm. He still reeked of perfume that wasn't hers. Anthony's late night activities hadn't left time for him to shower before they were expected for Emily's wedding. Elizabeth's stomach somersaulted with disgust as the thought of another woman's scent still lingering on Anthony's body.

"Remember dear," Anthony whispered in her ear as Jason Morgan came into view. "Be on your best behavior or suffer the consequences." Jason approached Elizabeth and Anthony. Dutifully he offered his arm to her as to escort her to her seat. Rather than taking Jason's arm she clung tightly to Anthony's. The action stunned Jason for a second. "It appears my wife prefers that I am her escort," Anthony observed smugly.

"This way," Jason said without acknowledging Anthony's dig.

Elizabeth sat next to her husband as the ceremony began. Her eyes were glued to Jason. He looked so handsome in his black tuxedo standing to the left of the groom. Not being able to take his arm moments before nearly destroyed her, yet she couldn't give Anthony any cause to act on his words. She feared even a simple wedding formality would be enough to set him off. She couldn't risk it no matter how much it wounded her. Elizabeth did her best to get lost in the priest's words.

"Welcome to the marriage of Emily Morgan and Alexander Smith. You have been asked to gather here to witness and share in the joy of this union."

Emily and Zander held hands as they turned to face one another. "There was a darkness for a long time and then there was light, and that light was you," Zander smiled as he spoke. "Your love has given me wings and our journey begins today."

Jason looked at Elizabeth as his brother in law to be spoke his heart felt words. For Jason those should have been words he was saying to her. They completely expressed how and what he felt for her.

"I pledge before this assembled company to be your husband from this day forward. Let us make our two lives one life. I want you for today, tomorrow and forever." The congregation watched as Zander gently wiped a tear from his bride's cheek.

"I have dreamed my whole life of having someone as wonderful as you love me they way you do." Emily's voice quivered.

Elizabeth felt the tears pooling in her eyes. It could have been her standing there saying those words to Jason. She let her gaze be drawn to him. In that brief moment their eyes locked on one another. It was like a window to her soul had been opened revealing all the feelings she still harbored for Jason. Anthony's threats of violence couldn't hide how she truly felt at that very moment. Elizabeth took advantage of the cliché of crying at weddings to let loose her pent up tears.

"I give myself to you as your wife, and I promise here to treasure for all of my days the love we celebrate today. Let us bring together our lives and find ourselves anew each day." Zander smiled as he mouthed silently I love you.

"Emily, will you take Alexander as your husband, in happiness and with patience and understanding through conflict and tranquillity?"

"I will," Emily answered the priest. The congregation looked on as she slipped the ring over her husband's finger.

"Alexander, will you take Emily as your wife, in happiness and with patience and understanding, through conflict and tranquillity?"

"I will," he answered as well. Gently Zander placed the ring on Emily's delicate finger.

"In as much as Emily and Alexander have declared their love to each other before family and friends, I know greet them with you as husband and wife. You may kiss." Which Emily and Zander did without hesitation.

For the reception Jason played by the rules set down by his father. He dutifully mingled with Anya on his arm. It was almost a surreal feeling to have any woman but Elizabeth in that position.

Elizabeth watched from her table as the festivities passed before her. Absently she stopped a waiter with a tray offering champagne. "Thank you," she said to the man. She knew she needed the liquid comfort if she was to make it through the remainder of the day. She scanned the sea of faces in search of her husband who was busy working the room in an effort to garner support for his impending rise to power. It was the sight of Jason and a woman who Elizabeth had never seen before that readily caught her attention. She felt her heart climb into her throat. There was Jason – her Jason – smiling and laughing. He was smiling and laughing with a woman who wasn't her. Elizabeth's vision suddenly blurred with tears. Suddenly she felt so cold. Her once warm blood was now frozen in her veins. The stabbing pain consuming her left her breathless. She got up from the table without a coherent thought in her head. The picture of Jason and his date blinded her. Elizabeth moved through the crowd until she was almost inches within in inches of where Jason stood with his back toward her. She felt her body tremble with rage, disbelief, fear ... the mix was too strong for her to control. Just as she was about to reach out and touch Jason, Anthony's boisterous laughter snapped her back to reality. In her haste to put distance between herself and Jason, Elizabeth turned around running squarely into a waitress sending a tray full of hors d'oeuvres falling to the floor with a loud crash. The silence that that noise rendered was deafening as all eyes came to rest on her yet she still hadn't taken her eyes off of Jason and his date. Elizabeth scrambled away embarrassed when Jason's gaze finally met hers. She never even heard him calling her as she raced across the room, but Anthony did. With a sadistic smile, he stood on the sidelines and watched Jason chase after his wife.

"Elizabeth," Jason said softly as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't you have a date you should be attending to?" she asked as she shrugged off his touch.

"I'm worried about you. You don't understand. Anya... ..."

"Anya, what a lovely name. Anya Morgan what a pleasant ring that has!!" Elizabeth spat.

"STOP IT ELIZABETH!!" Jason barked. It was abundantly clear the anguish she felt at seeing him with another woman. It was the same for him each time he was forced to watch Anthony parade around with Elizabeth on his arm like some sort of prize.

"I have a husband to give me orders, thank you," she scoffed.

"That you do!" Anthony said as he stepped out onto the patio. "What's going on here?!?" his voice boomed.

"Nothing," Elizabeth answered as she tried not to stutter.

"I was just checking to see if she was all right... ..." Jason began.

"Save it Morgan! I thought you were smarter than this Elizabeth! Well your stupidity is my gain I guess," Anthony laughed maniacally his gaze trained on Jason. Elizabeth's eyes darted between the men. Without meaning to she had put Jason in danger. Her jealous fit, her inability to control her emotions had put Jason in jeopardy now, just as it had done to everyone from the very beginning. "I'll be seeing you soon, Morgan," Anthony said in a foreboding manner as he grabbed Elizabeth leading her back toward the reception.

Anthony spoke not a word to her the rest of the evening. He didn't have to. Elizabeth knew. It was that knowledge that she tried to drown with tequila.


	48. Chapter 47

Elizabeth rested her hand on the door leading to Rocco's private quarters. God how she missed him. She missed his booming laugh, the warmth of his smile, his companionship, but what Elizabeth missed the most was his protection. She turned the doorknob slowly as she winced in pain that that simple motion caused her. Silently Elizabeth slipped into the room. Nothing there had been disturbed since the day Rocco died. By the looks of the room to the outside world it would have appeared that Rocco Malucci was still alive and well – just in another section of the mansion. Elizabeth took a ragged breath as she settled her body down on the expansive bed. In doing so she was forced to gaze at her battered reflection in the bureau mirror. There was several purple bruises scattered about her face and neck. Anthony had no reason to hide his offenses any longer. With Rocco gone, he had free reign to do as he pleased without any consequences.

Elizabeth gingerly laid her body back against the cool surface of the satin comforter. This was the one room in the house where was still able to pretend she had some semblance of a life. Even the sham of a life Elizabeth had prior to Rocco's death was better than the hell she was living now. If a person could even call what Elizabeth was doing now as living. She felt the tears dampen her face as they slipped passed the corners of her eyes. The previous day's memory of the woman, Anya, on Jason's arm felt like a heavy weight on Elizabeth's chest. The idea that Jason had so easily moved on was more than Elizabeth thought she could bear. Yes, she had pushed him away. Yes, she had been the one to tell him it was over between them, that their being together had been a mistake from the start. She just never expected Jason to forget her the way he had.

"I thought I made myself clear that this room is off limits!" Helena's angry voice startled Elizabeth into a sitting position. "Oh – Mrs. Malucci, I didn't realize it was you."

"That's fine," Elizabeth said as she hurriedly wiped away her tears.

"What are you doing in here?" Helena asked as she tried not to stare at the young woman's bruised features.

"Thinking."

"You miss him very much – don't you?" Elizabeth nodded fearing if she spoke her words would have been drown out by sobs. "I do too," Helena concurred. "This house just isn't the same without him." The older woman knew that was an understatement to say the least. Rocco had been a man of great honor and respect. He treated his employees the same. Whereas his son was the exact opposite. Anthony was rude, crude and a power hungry monster that demanded obedience and if that obedience didn't come in the manner Anthony thought it should there was hell to pay. By the bruises on Elizabeth's face, Helena knew that brutal payment extended to his young wife as well. "Have you had any breakfast?" Helena asked Elizabeth.

"Coffee," she answered.

"Miss, you really need to keep your strength up," Helena said sounding like a mother hen. For what – Elizabeth almost said aloud. There was nothing left for her. Rocco was dead. Jason had moved on. Her father hadn't really cared for her in many years. What did she really have anymore? What did she have to be strong for anymore? "Come with me to the kitchen. I will fix you a nice big breakfast."

"Thank you Helena, but no," Elizabeth replied. "I'm not in the least bit hungry, besides I have to get Rocco's things gathered up. Anthony wants them to be sent to the homeless shelter downtown."

"What!?!" Helena was shocked. "You can't be serious? Mr. Malucci hasn't even been gone a month and ... ..." Helena couldn't fathom the idea of just disposing of her boss' things, at least not yet. It was too soon in her opinion.

"I am," Elizabeth said flatly.

"I'm sure it could wait a few more weeks."

"Anthony wants it done. He said that his father would have wanted his things to go to those less fortunate than he." Elizabeth nearly choked on the lie. That's not what Anthony had said at all but she couldn't bring herself to repeat his true words.

"Oh really, Anthony said that did he?" Helena cocked her brow. She didn't believe a word of Elizabeth's remarks. It wasn't a secret around the estate that Anthony Malucci was enjoying the fact that he was now THE MAN of the house. Helena suspected that he wanted no reminders of his father lying around.

"Yes. I tend to agree. Rocco was a very generous man. I think he would be pleased to know that he was helping others," Elizabeth said with a faint smile.

"Well then at least let me or one of the staff do this. Going through Rocco's things is going to be hard on you I am sure," Helena offered.

"Anthony expects me to do it," the young brunette stated.

"But..."

"Thank you Helena, really, but it's better if I just do it myself. It's better for all concerned," Elizabeth stressed. She was finally beginning to see following orders was better than defying them.

Helena stared at Elizabeth for a minute unsure of what to say next. The vacant defeated look in her deep blue eyes tugged at Helena's heart. The purple bruises only added to the shell shock effect. In Helena's opinion, it was time that Joseph Morgan took some action before there was nothing left of Elizabeth to protect. If Marco wasn't going to deliver the information to his boss, Helena would make the delivery herself. "If you need anything... ..."

"I know where to find you," Elizabeth finished her sentence.

"I mean it," Helena stressed.

"I know you do."

Helena closed the door behind her as she set out to find the man responsible for guarding Elizabeth's well being. Up until now Helena felt he was doing a poor job and intended on telling him as much.

Elizabeth opened the closet doors and stared at the rows and rows of suits lined up before her. The faint smell of Rocco's cologne filtered its way into the room. One by one she removed them from their hanger, folded and placed them in a neat pile on the bed. Once the closet was emptied, Elizabeth made her way to the bureau drawers and repeated the ritual until the surface of Rocco's bed was covered with stacks and stacks of his belongings.

She moved to the night table adjacent to Rocco's bed opening each of the three drawers. It was then that she came across what looked to be a journal, much like the one she had when she was a teenager. Her fingers ran along the tattered leather corners worn from over use. Elizabeth never thought that Rocco would have kept a journal. Easily the book fell open and revealed its yellowed pages. Elizabeth's eyes were drawn to the pretty script that flowed across the frayed sheets. This writing didn't belong to Rocco. It was the handwriting of a woman, a girl even. Elizabeth flipped back to the opening page in the hope that like she used to the author would have scribbled their name and the date. That was not the case however. What Elizabeth did find there was a black and white photo of a rather strikingly handsome young man. She studied the strong lines of his face, his light hair and soulful eyes and immediately Elizabeth's thoughts were drawn to the image of Jason she carried in her head. Tenderly, Elizabeth ran the tips of her fingers over the photo as though she was touching Jason. She positioned herself on the soft carpeted floor and started reading the life and times of who she didn't know yet but was sure that the pages of this book would reveal.

It hadn't taken long for Elizabeth to surmise that this journal belonged to Anna Malucci, Rocco's sister. Elizabeth continued to read as she recalled many of the heart breaking stories that Rocco had relayed to her about his sister's life, yet reading Anna's written words of pain, heartbreak, anger and frustration brought tears to Elizabeth's already damp eyes. She could have easily been reading the tale of her own life. The parallels between Elizabeth and Anna's lives were astounding. Elizabeth looked down at the photo she laid at her side. She knew now that handsome man was Robert. Robert Black had been the love of Anna's life. The love that she had been forced to give up when she married Carlo Rossetti at her father's wishes. Yet Anna hadn't really given Robert up. According to the pages of the journal in Elizabeth's hands, Anna and Robert met in secret for years until one day he failed to meet her. Elizabeth choked on a sob as she read Anna's desperation and loss. From that entry forward the words penned made little sense. Most of them were rantings and ravings for pages on end. There was also gaps of time when not a single word was written for days, even weeks. From what Elizabeth could gather the day that Robert stopped their relationship was the day that Anna stopped living in reality. It was as though Robert was her last thread that tied her to the world around her and without him that world made no difference to Anna any longer.

"Just like me," Elizabeth whispered to the ghosts that surrounded her. The entries suddenly stopped without so much as an explanation. Elizabeth leafed through the remaining blank pages looking for some clue as to what happened to Rocco's sister. That clue came in the form of an unopened letter that had been returned to Rocco. The address read:

Anna Rossetti

Our Lady of Grace Hospital

1812 Tipping Drive

Chicago, IL 90612

As Elizabeth lifted the seal of the envelope what had become of Anna was crystal clear. She had been sent to a hospital, which wasn't really a hospital at all, but rather a sanitarium. The loss of Robert had pushed Anna over the edge into madness. Elizabeth herself was teetering on that very same edge right now. Losing Rocco and Jason was just too much for her to handle. That loss coupled with the isolation Anthony had been successful in creating for her was just enough to have Elizabeth within steps of falling off a cliff.

Elizabeth returned the letter to its resting-place at the back of the journal and placed the book back in the drawer. As she did that her hand brushed against a bottle. She brought the bottle of pills out from under the stack of papers that had been hiding it and read the label. It held the pills Dr. Aber had prescribed when Rocco had been having trouble sleeping some time ago. The bottle was nearly full. Elizabeth recalled Rocco's insistence on not needing them. He must have thrown them in the drawer.

She toyed with the bottle as she thought how nice it would be to sleep and forget all about the world around her. She thought how much she didn't want to suffer the same fate as Anna had. She didn't want to end up locked up in a padded room talking to herself or scratching at the walls searching for an escape. Cautiously, Elizabeth opened the bottle of pills. She let the pink and blue pills roll around in her hand as her brain formed a plan. A plan that would rid her of all her pain, all the isolation that she been battling for years now. There wasn't anyone left to miss her. There wasn't anyone left to care if she lived or died. Her father was off planning and scheming his next big political coo. Anthony was plotting to over throw the powers that be with the families. Rocco was dead and Jason had moved on to his next conquest. There wasn't a person who would care or even notice if she ceased to exist. Elizabeth dropped the pills back in the bottle and replaced the lid before she slipped them into her pocket.

"I'm sorry Rocco," she cried. "I am sorry I wasn't stronger." Elizabeth closed the door to Rocco's quarters. She spied Helena and Marco having a heated discussion at the end of the hallway. "Perfect," she said aloud. This would make it all the easier to slip out of the house unnoticed. Helena was angry about something that Marco had or hadn't done. Elizabeth knew that her tail would be occupied for quite some time with Helena in that sort of mood. It would give her ample time to make her getaway.

Elizabeth slid behind the driver's sear of her car just a bright flash of lightening split the evening sky. Elizabeth's BMW made its way out of the drive before anymore even realized that it was gone. As she drove deeper into the heart of Chicago and farther away from her prison, Elizabeth didn't know where she was really going though her car guided her. It was taking her straight to where she had always longed to be. It was carrying her to a place where for one last time she could feel close to Jason, feel close to her one true love.

She parked the car several blocks away from the Drake Hotel and began walking in the rain. As the rest of the world scurried around trying to avoid the pelting raindrops, Elizabeth walked slow and steady to her destination. She opened the door to the secret entry of Jason's penthouse and followed the corridor like she had done so many times before. She rode the tiny elevator until it stopped and she stepped out into the living room of the penthouse. It was dark and quiet. Elizabeth turned on a small lamp resting on the desk. It cast a soft glow as she made her way to the bar. Taking the bottle of sleeping pills from her pocket, she placed them on the bar as she reached for a bottle of champagne. The cork popped loudly as some of the bottle's pale contents escaped onto the lacquered surface. She took each bottle in her hands and walked to the large leather sofa. Elizabeth took a long gulp of the sweet fruity liquid as her hands caressed the supple leather. How many time had she and Jason made love in that very spot. She closed her eyes and let those beautiful memories entertain her.

A flash of white light lit up the room and the crash of thunder soon followed. Elizabeth yelled back as the next wave of thunder rumbled through until she felt as though she was down to her last breath. With a steady hand Elizabeth opened the bottle of pills and dumped them into her hand. She had been traveling down a road to nowhere for so long she knew it was time to finally escape it all. She brought her hand to her mouth taking in the pills in one full gulp following them with the champagne. She could feel them sliding down her throat into the pit of her stomach.

She expected to be frightened but she wasn't. All she felt was relief. She knew that it all would be over soon. As she looked back on her life there were so many mistakes to reflect on. So many roads that should have never been taken but she had always thought that road she had found with Jason would lead her some where, some where in his grace. She had foolishly believed that Jason had been heaven's way of saving her. Here she was standing six feet from the edge thinking that maybe six feet wasn't so far down after all. She had nothing left to lose she thought as she finished off the bottle of champagne. Elizabeth crossed the living room and headed for Jason's bedroom. She recalled the first night he had brought her there. How she watched the waters of Lake Michigan lapping the shore. Now she watched the waves caused by the storm beat against the sand. That's how she felt, like the sand being beaten down time and time again by a force beyond its control. Everything in her life had been beyond her control for so long now Elizabeth couldn't remember a time when she powered her own destiny. That was all about to change tonight. The end of her life, that was within her command. The combined effect of the sleeping pills and champagne was beginning to work its magic. Elizabeth lay across the king-sized bed, as her eyes grew heavy. Suddenly she wanted desperately to hear Jason's voice. The last thing she wanted to hear before she left this world was Jason's voice.

Elizabeth fumbled with the phone as she tried to recall Jason's cell phone number. Her mind was filled by fog. Finally the last number was dialed and the line began to ring through. "Morgan." Jason's husky voice met her ear. For a moment she savored its sound. "Morgan," he repeated.

"Jason," Elizabeth's voice was barely a whisper.

"Elizabeth?!?" Jason was stunned. He had spent the previous night worried out of his mind. Not only was he worried about what Anthony had in store for her but also by the fact that she had thought that he had forgotten about her so quickly. "How are you?" he questioned.

"I'm fine," she answered almost in a sing song manner.

"Elizabeth?" Jason knew that something about her tone was off. "What's the matter? What's going on? Did Anthony hurt you?" Jason fired out question after question. Elizabeth chuckled at them all. Where should she even begin to explain? "Elizabeth!!" Jason shouted. "Honey where are you? Are you all right? I'll come and get you. I promise that I will take care of you."

"It's too late for you to take care of me. I can take care of myself. As a matter of fact I already have."

"What are you talking about Elizabeth? What do you mean you have already taken care of yourself?" Jason couldn't hide the panic in his voice. Wild thoughts ran rampant through his head as to exactly all the meanings behind her words.

"I really loved you Jason," she gasped.

"I love you too, Elizabeth." He didn't like the past tense of her statement. "Baby, please let me help you," Jason pushed down the cries that hung in his throat. "Where are you baby?"

"I don't need anyone's help anymore. I will be fine. I am fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"I want you to know Jason that I am so grateful for you. I will always remember you – remember the little bit of joy I shared with you. I'm sorry – so sorry... ..."

Those were the last words Jason heard Elizabeth speak. "ELIZABETH... ... ELIZABETH... ... ELIZABETH!!!" Jason screamed into the phone over and over again. "DAMN IT!!!!"


	49. Chapter 48

"ELIZABETH...ELIZABETH!!!" Jason's voice was filled with hysteria, almost doom. "ELIZABETH!?! DAMN IT!!" Jason yelled as he slammed the phone down hard against his desk as the line went dead in his ear. His mouth was suddenly dry as chaotic thoughts took over his brain. What on earth had Elizabeth meant when she said that she could take care of herself and that she already had? What had she done – Jason thought to himself. Why wouldn't she let him help her? The question skirted through his mind – what had she done? He asked himself again not really wanting an answer to the question.

"Where the hell are you Elizabeth?" he questioned the four paneled walls of his office. Jason took a ragged breath as he ran his hands over his face in a vain attempt to force his brain to think clearly. Yet thinking clearly where Elizabeth Malucci was concerned had never been his strong suit. Jason picked up his cell phone again for the fruitless effort of trying to contact Elizabeth. Up until now all of his labor on that front had been mute. Every phone number that he had for her had stopped working weeks ago. His only hope was to call the Malucci mansion. Jason toyed with the phone in his hand pensive about making that call. He have been walking a fine line for so long now between his own desires, his loyalty to his family and Elizabeth's safety that Jason wasn't sure what he was even doing anymore, except maybe failing on all accounts.

Again he looked at the phone resting in his hands. He knew that he wasn't left with a choice. He had to contact Elizabeth by whatever means necessary. Just as he was about to begin dialing, the number listed on his display screen caught his attention. It was the phone number to his penthouse at the Drake Hotel. Elizabeth was at his penthouse. The reality that she was safe sent a wave of relief cascading over Jason's body. It was like he was finally able to let out the breath he had been holding for too long. Jason tried to drown out the nagging voice that picked at the back of him mind. He couldn't squash the vivid memory of the despair he had heard in Elizabeth's voice or how she had spoken in the past tense for so much of the conversation. All at once the hairs on the back of his neck stood erect. He didn't want to entertain the ideas that besieged his brain. Quickly he felt the blood drain from his face as he recalled her words.

_"I want you to know Jason that I am so grateful for you. I will always remember you...Remember the little bit of joy I shared with you...I'm sorry – so sorry... ..."_

Jason pushed back the tears that threatened to consume him. What he was thinking couldn't be true. Elizabeth was too strong of a person to do what he was attempting not to let his mind think about. She was strong, tenacious and gave as good as she got – Jason thought as his memory of their first meeting leapt to his mind. Elizabeth would never let the world, much less Anthony, beat her down. However the last few times that Jason had seen her she looked as though the world had finally gotten the better of her. The disbelief, utter pain, Jason saw in her eyes – written over every expression on her face when she assumed that he no longer loved her was like a dagger through his heart. He had never gotten the chance to explain himself, had never gotten to tell Elizabeth that his "date" had been all his mother's doing. Anthony's threats and well placed hovering made sure that there was no time for Jason to make his move, at least not without inciting a riot. Hearing Elizabeth's voice now, Jason wished he had ignored his father's request about no scenes at Emily's wedding and had just taken Anthony out then and there.

Suddenly Jason had another thought. A thought that he wasn't sure was better yet it was more bearable than the idea that Elizabeth would have ever done something to hurt herself. What if her being forced to live life under Anthony's thumb had caused her to snap. What if she had tried to rid the world of Anthony herself? Once more Jason felt his mouth go dry. If Elizabeth had killed or even wounded Anthony, he knew she would be in grave danger. That had to explain why she was at his penthouse. He knew she assumed that it was safe there, but Jason couldn't help but wonder just how safe it really was. Anthony had been tailing Elizabeth for months now. Jason couldn't be certain of what Anthony had and hadn't known about their affair or which of his men he had informed. He pushed his chair back hard and reached for the gun that was hidden in the center drawer of his desk at all times. Easily he slipped it into his waistband and pulled on his jacket. He wasn't about to take anymore chances with Elizabeth's life. Enough was enough. This war had been a long time in coming and there was no stopping it now.

"Jason... ..." his secretary said as he rushed passed her. "Jason, your father needs you in his off... ..."

"Tell him I am busy," Jason ordered as he frantically pushed the button for the elevator. Time was of the essence and he knew it.

"I was supposed to bring... ..."

"I don't care what you were supposed to do!" Jason barked. "I'm busy." He darted into the awaiting elevator as his secretary watched the doors close.

Jason rushed from the elevator lengthening his stride to a full tilt run. The distance between where the bank of elevators was and where his Porsche was parked seemed like miles rather than a few mere feet. Jason fumbled with his keys for a second cursing the delicate alarm system that he had had installed. Finally the door sprang open and he turned the key in the ignition as the engine let out a throaty roar echoing off the cement walls of the parking garage. With a shrill screech of the tires Jason shifted from reverse to second gear as he sped out of his parking space.

The traffic on the streets of downtown Chicago that afternoon was moderate however the steady driving rain clogged the streets just the same. The slow moving mass of vehicles slowed down Jason's attempt to get to Elizabeth. He darted between car after car only to get stopped at the nearest intersection. He slammed his fists against the steering wheel as he was forced to halt for the next red light. "COME ON... ...COME ON!!" he shouted frantically to the array of vehicles obstructing his path. Jason glanced at the clock radio. It had been less than fifteen minutes since Elizabeth's phone call but Jason couldn't shake the feeling that that had been fifteen minutes too long. The gnawing in the pit of his stomach wasn't going away nor were his fears that Elizabeth was in danger.

"DAMN IT!!" Jason yelled as a yellow taxi jumped in front of him to pick up an awaiting passenger at the curb. Jason reached for his cell phone and quickly dialed his penthouse. The persistent ringing in his ears only served to heighten his anxiety. "Come on Elizabeth – pick up! Pick up the god damn phone Elizabeth!!" He slammed his fist against the dash. Frustrated by the traffic before him, Jason cut down a side street in an attempt to make up for lost time. He wound his way through the alleys as he tried to center his thoughts on that Elizabeth had to be okay. "She just has to," he whispered to himself. Again he picked up his phone and called the penthouse only to find Elizabeth still not answering the phone. A cold chill ran down Jason's spine forcing goose bumps to rise on his flesh. "Johnny," Jason barked into the cell phone's receiver.

"Yeah boss?" the man answered.

"Take Max and get to my penthouse – NOW!!"

"What's wrong boss?" Johnny asked sensing the heightened fear in Jason's voice.

"DON'T FUCKING ASK QUESTIONS!! JUST FOLLOW MY FUCKING ORDERS!! GET TO MY PENTHOUSE NOW!!"

"Right away boss." Johnny decided that it was better not to argue. He had a feeling he would pay a high price if he didn't just listen.

Knowing that Johnny and Max were on their way did little to allay Jason's fears. The more the recollection of Elizabeth's words played out in his head the more frenzied Jason became. At last the Drake Hotel loomed in the distance. Jason buried his foot into the accelerator as his Porsche screamed toward its destination. Jason didn't bother with any of his usual formalities or secrets about his being there. He threw on the parking brake and bolted from the car without so much as a word to Ronald who stood watching him curiously.

For the second time that afternoon Jason found himself cursing his cautious nature. The precautions taken to keep the masses away from him were now impeding his getting to Elizabeth. Jason burst through the door his voice bellowing her name. "ELIZABETH....ELIZABETH...ELIZABETH!!!" The penthouse was quiet. "ELIZABETH...baby it's Jason. You don't have to be afraid. You can stop hiding." His voice trembled as he held the tears at bay. "ELIZABETH!!" he nearly screamed. Jason's eyes were drawn to the leather sofa in front of him. His gaze fell on the empty champagne bottle resting on its side. Absently, he went forward and took it in his grasp. Maybe she was just passed out, that's why she wasn't answering him. He prayed that was the reason for her silence. "That has to be it!" he said demanding his brain to relinquish all other thoughts yet as his eyes caught sight of the empty pill bottle nestled with the folds of the sofa – Jason knew his fears were founded.

He fell to his knees as he took the bottle in his hands. Jason strained to read the label but the words made little sense to him, as the tears he had pent up finally were unleashed. He swallowed hard as the lump in his throat choked him. "Elizabeth, what have you done?" he finally cried.

A force beyond his control propelled Jason through the remaining rooms of the penthouse. He stopped cold as the sight of Elizabeth's lifeless body lying across his bed rendered him helpless. His eyes widened as his greatest fear had been realized. In anger Jason sent the empty champagne bottle still hanging in his hand careening across the room. The bottle shattered into a million pieces when it hit the wall the same way Jason's heart just had. "Elizabeth... ...Elizabeth..." Jason choked on her name as he gently took her hand in his. "Baby, come one...you have to open your eyes, baby." Silently the tears pooled behind his light eyes. The purple bruises on Elizabeth's face fueled Jason's rage. Anthony Malucci had raised his hand against the woman who caused Jason's heart to beat. That was a mistake that he would pay and pay dearly for. Softly Jason cradled Elizabeth's limp body in his arms. He pressed his lips to her forehead as his body began rocking back and forth his sobs filling the deathly quiet room. How had things gotten this out of control Jason thought to himself as the vivid images of all that he and Elizabeth shared leapt forward. Through his tears the memories of her skin against his own, her whispering her love for him in his ears, the way only she could make him feel so alive, so complete engulfed him in another wave of salty tears. "Why? Why baby – why would you do something like this?" Jason shook her as if he expected the action to elicit a response from Elizabeth's lips. "I love you. I would have found a way for us," he stammered.

"Boss?" Johnny's questioning voice startled Jason. Jason's grief stricken face looked up at the Morgan soldier standing before him. His mind couldn't form the words he needed to speak. He was still lost somewhere in the recesses of his mind where he had control over his surroundings. "Boss?" Johnny repeated.

"You and Max stand guard at the front entrance. NO ONE I MEAN NO ONE gets inside this penthouse!" Jason voice was a violent whisper.

"What the hell's going on here?" Johnny made the mistake of asking.

Before he knew what hit him, Jason had Johnny pinned against the door. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!?!?" Jason raged.

"Nothing boss – nothing." Johnny backed away as soon as Jason loosened his grip.

Jason's gaze fell back to Elizabeth's form spread across the king-sized bed. Again he wasn't able to stop the flow of tears that ran from his eyes. "This can't be happening – this can't be happening – this can't be happening," he repeated over and over again to himself. Elizabeth couldn't have tried to take her own life. She just couldn't have Jason thought again. Using his hand, Jason pressed his fingers hard against his eyes in a vain attempt to put a stop to his tears. This wasn't the time to let his emotions reign free. Jason was sure that he needed to be clear headed and rational. He knew that he had to take charge of the situation before it was too late. There was only one person who could help Jason now. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and placed a call.

"Jason," the voice of Dr. Harold Johnjulio caused Jason's thoughts to jump ahead to the present. The events of the previous year seemed like a whirlwind of emotions but its climax had devastated both he and Elizabeth. "Jason," the doctor repeated. "I have Mrs. Malucci..."

"Elizabeth," Jason corrected him.

"I have her stable. Well, as stable as I can given the circumstances," Dr. Johnjulio heaved a heavy sigh. "The private ambulance should be here momentarily. The paramedics have been apprised of the delicate nature of the situation. They have assured me they have the proper equipment to better aid in saving Mrs. Malu – Elizabeth's," Dr. Johnjulio corrected himself before Jason was able to, "life."

"I would expect nothing less!" Jason said coldly.

"There is still no guarantees in the outcome of all of this. You do understand that, don't you?" Harold Johnjulio asked as his hand came to where Jason's was clamped against his neck. The old man had a feeling that if Elizabeth Malucci wasn't to survive this ordeal it just might be his last house call for the Morgan family, if not his last house call ever.

"Go wait in the alley for the paramedics," Jason ordered Max.

"Yes sir." Max didn't waste anytime in complying with the directive. He had seen the angry display between Johnny and the boss earlier. He had no intentions of being on the receiving end of such anger.

"Oh I have my guarantee!" Jason turned back to the elderly gentleman and continued his conversation without skipping a beat. "You're my guarantee doctor!" On that cryptic note Jason turned and went back to Elizabeth's side.

Dr. Harold Johnjulio stood at a safe distance while he observed Jason Morgan. There was no denying the love the young man held for Anthony Malucci's wife. It came across in every action, every touch, and every soft 'I love you' that Dr. Johnjulio was able to hear. This was unlike any situation the good doctor had ever been witness to in his tenure as personal physician to the Morgan family. He had found himself in the middle of many turf wars between rival families but somehow this was quite different. Harold knew this was love and war. Just then the doors to the secret elevator slid open. The paramedics rolled the stretcher into the penthouse as Dr. Johnjulio motioned them toward the master bedroom. "Jason." Once more the older man's voice startled him. "The ambulance is here. We need to move her now." Jason nodded yet he never dropped her hand. It was so cold, deathly cold. He was barely able to see the rise and fall of her chest any longer. It was though he know she was slipping away right before his eyes but there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. His chest tightened around his heart as he clenched his teeth to hold back a strangled cry. This can't be the end. It just can't be. The hushed voice inside his mind repeated. "Jason," Dr. Johnjulio rested his hand tentatively on the young man's shoulder. "Time is of the greatest essence." Jason leaned in and kissed Elizabeth gently on the lips praying that it wasn't for the last time.

Jason was affixed to the spot on the floor with eyes trained on Elizabeth as she was wheeled into the awaiting elevator. He spoke silent prayers for the woman he loved, for the woman forced to live a hellish existence, for a woman who deserved so much more than life had dealt her. "WHAT!?!?" Jason bellowed into his ringing phone. "What?!?!" he questioned again with much more disbelief in his tone. "I'm on my way."

Jason had finally caught a break. All of his hunting down of Anthony's elusive partner in crime had paid off. Reggie, if that was even his real name, was the answer to Jason's prayer. The prayer that Anthony Malucci would pay for his crimes not only against the Morgan family but for every ounce of pain he had caused Elizabeth.

"Judgment day!" Jason hissed as he exited the penthouse.


	50. Chapter 49

Reggie felt his body smack hard against the cold steel of Jason's black Porsche. He heard himself groan as a searing pain rippled through his rib cage. Reggie watched Jason's mouth moving but his brain wasn't able to process the words. His mind was too focused on how to get himself out of this mess.

"I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING!!" Jason's voice was cold and hard as he pressed Reggie's body firmly against the side of his car. Reggie heard himself stammer unable to form even a syllable of a word in response to his attacker's question. Jason slammed him against the car once more. "I KNOW YOU ARE FUCKING WORKING FOR MALUCCI!! WHAT'S HIS NEXT MOVE!?!"

Their confrontation went on like that for what to Reggie seemed to be hours until finally the barrel of Jason's gun pointed between his eyes was too much for Reggie to take. He told Jason Morgan everything he wanted to hear. Reggie took a ragged breath and winced in pain as his fingers made contact with the bloody gash on his forehead. When had his life gotten so complicated, Reggie thought to himself as he tried not to glance at the gun still resting on Jason's lap. Why the hell had he taken on this job in the first place, he questioned his motives. It would have been much simpler if he had just stuck with what he knew best, small heists, a shakedown or two, collecting points or even the occasional hit if the money was right. This last job had put him well out of his league and Reggie knew it. He knew it from the very beginning but the purse had been too great for him not to be lured into accepting the job. Looking at Jason Morgan, Reggie wished now he hadn't.

Jason did his best to keep his eyes trained on the road before him, to keep his thoughts focused on his destination. However that wasn't an easy task. His mind kept drawing him back to thoughts of Elizabeth. Jason clenched his jaw as a way to stop the tears he could feel beginning to sting his eyes. The pictures that paraded through his mind were disjointed at best. Jason couldn't stop himself from wondering if the bastard sitting next to him had helped Anthony prolong the cruelty that Elizabeth was subjected to. Nothing would surprise Jason at this point. The horrific tale that the man cowering in the seat beside him told had Jason's head spinning. Because of Anthony Malucci and his warped vendetta, Jason and his family had already lost so much. That coupled with the notion that there was a good possibility that Elizabeth might not make it through this whole ordeal was too much for Jason's tired brain to bear. He shook his head in an outward attempt to clear the murky fog from his mind. Again he couldn't let himself get caught up in the tricks his mind was playing on him. Jason pushed back his memories of Elizabeth to the farthest corner of his mind and locked them there. He knew that his love for Elizabeth was the fuel he needed to stoke his raging inferno of emotions but that that could also be his downfall. In order for Jason to get his father to see the light where Anthony Malucci was concern, he knew that Elizabeth couldn't play any part in this.

Jason lifted the gun from its resting-place on his lap as the Porsche rolled to a stop alongside the massive garage. He used the gun barrel as a way to signal Reggie that he was to follow. The other man made no attempt to do anything but follow his captor's orders. Jason whipped Reggie forward by the arm as he buried the gun's cold steel point in his back and pushed him forward toward the Morgan mansion. "STAY PUT!!!" Jason growled as he shoved Reggie into a tiny room. Before he was able to offer a response Jason slammed the door shut. Reggie heard the lock click as the deadbolt slid into the strike plate. He leaned against the cool wall surface feeling like a caged animal and wondering what his fate was to be all the while in the back of his mind knowing.

Jason strode through the hallways of his home with a purpose. He was in search of his father. It was time that Joseph Morgan acknowledged the menace that Anthony Malucci was and high time he did something about it. He heard the muffled sounds of voices as he drew closer to his father's study. He was unprepared for the sight that met his eyes. Right before him standing among the men that headed the other families in the organization was Anthony Malucci in the flesh. All the blood drained from Jason's face as his memory bombarded him with images of Elizabeth and what she had done to herself. The purple bruises that Anthony had inflicted on her beautiful face leapt to his mind's eye. Elizabeth was fighting for her life while the monster responsible for it was drinking from a bottle of Joseph Morgan's best scotch. "Cozy aren't we?" Jason asked sarcastically as those in the room turned and centered their attention on the younger Morgan. "What the hell is HE," Jason pointed directly to Anthony, "doing in our house?" Jason bit the inside of his mouth hard enough to draw blood in a vain attempt to corral his frenzy of anger.

"We were waiting on you, son," Joseph lied as he crossed the room leading Jason deeper inside. After what he had been told by Jason's secretary Joseph hadn't any idea if his son would show or not.

"For what?" Jason asked suspiciously as he removed his arm from his father's grasp.

"A few of us felt that in our haste to execute Rocco's wishes we over looked the fact that Anthony could be vital asset to the organization. We thought the situation deserved further discussion."

"WHAT?!?" Jason wasn't able to contain his rage. "NO WAY!! NEVER... ... I will NEVER be part of any organization that that BASTARD is!!" Jason turned to look at his father as his voice bounced off the walls. He narrowed his eyes as his menacing gaze fell on the man he had called father for so many years. A man that at that very moment Jason didn't see as a shred of sanity in.

Jason's hands went to his hips. Immediately the tips of his fingers made contact with the hardness of his gun. He toyed with the handle as the images of Anthony's bleeding body besieged him. Without a moments hesitation, Jason could have drawn the gun and Anthony Malucci would cease breathing. The very thought caused every nerve in Jason's body to sing in anticipation. What pleasure he would have derived from ending Anthony's life right then, however the voice of reason that Jason had been holding at bay finally burst forth. "I need a word with you," Jason said to Joseph without giving him a chance to decline the request.

"If you will excuse me gentlemen," Joseph offered as he and Jason exited the room. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded as he followed his son down the hallway. "Jason!!" Joseph grabbed for his arm when his son failed to respond to his inquires.

"This!" Jason stated as the door to the room where Reggie had been left fell open.

"What's his problem?" Anthony asked the remaining men in the room. To which their only response was silence. "It's nice to see that you all have come to your senses," Anthony continued as he poured himself another glass of scotch from the bottle Joseph had set in front of him. "I don't know what my father was thinking when he asked for the Malucci family assets to be divided among you all. He wasn't quite himself towards the end. I am glad that you all have come to understand that." Anthony's monologue proceeded with still no words from the others in the room.

Joseph went forward to the corner of the room where Reggie was slumped over in pain. "Are you all right?" he asked as he assisted the battered man to his feet.

"What the hell's going on here?" Jason asked exasperated by his father's concern for a man who had been responsible for so many atrocities against their family. "Why the hell are you so fucking worried about a guy who has been paid by Anthony to systematically destroy our family?!?" Jason gasped.

Anthony poured himself another drink as his anxiety began to get the better of him. Joseph and Jason had been gone from the room for quite some time now. Anthony couldn't shake the gnawing in his gut. The silence that filled the room wasn't helping his anxious state either.

"Jason, Anthony only believes that Reggie is working for him," Joseph simply stated.

Jason's jaw scraped the floor. "WHAT?!?!"

"I am sure you heard me. He's been working for me since the night of the benefit."

"What?!?!" That was the only word that Jason could get his brain to form. He's father's explanation was making very little sense to him.

"I understand your shock... ..."

"SHOCK!?!?" Jason interrupted him. "SHOCK... doesn't nearly cover it!" Jason almost laughed.

"Jason, please just calm down and let me explain."

"Yes – please do explain. This...this...this," Jason couldn't find the word to adequately describe what this animal had put the Morgan family through. "He helped Anthony terrorize our family and you expect me to believe that you sanctioned such actions? My god Pap, AJ and Courtney lost a child!" Jason cried.

"NO! I never would have sanctioned the things that happened but I can't...."

"CAN'T WHAT?!?!?" Jason demanded unable to fathom what his father was trying to say.

"I regret what happened but I can't change that now." Joseph's eyes fell hard on Reggie as he thought of the grief AJ and Courtney were still dealing with at the loss of their child.

"So what you are saying is the ends justify the means?!?"

"Sometimes yes," Joseph sighed.

"What a fucking hypocrite you are, Papa!" Jason yelled.

"Son please." Joseph moved closer to Jason. "There is by far more going on here than you are aware of."

"All I need to be aware of is that you had the chance to stop this a long time ago and you didn't!" Jason seethed as he stormed from the room unable to look at the man he called father.

Anthony looked on as Jason and Joseph entered the study finally. The tension between father and son was obvious. Anthony smirked as he imagined that 'Prince Jason' was irritated by the fact that Joseph had finally seen the error of his ways where the Malucci family was concerned. "I'm sorry for the delay gentlemen," Joseph offered his apologies to the others. "Let's all take our seats and begin."

"Yes let's," Anthony agreed in a cocky tone. He was suddenly full of himself, confident in the fact that everything he wanted was just within his grasp.

Jason felt his hands ball into fists. Having to sit across from Anthony, no matter what his father did or didn't have in store for the bastard wasn't something that Jason could easily do.

"As I mentioned before," Joseph started. "We have been seriously rethinking Rocco's request concerning the function of the Malucci family."

Jason shifted in his seat as Joseph spoke. He was doing his best to keep from heaving. "What's the matter Jason?" Anthony asked with a shitty grin.

"Excuse me?" Jason countered.

"What don't you like sharing? I mean hell I have been sharing my wife for months now. Don't you think it's time that you did some sharing of your own?" Anthony sneered. He was happy to divulge Jason's affair with his wife to the other men in the room.

With the mention of Elizabeth even if not by name, Jason stood as if he had been shot from a cannon as his chair sailed to the floor with a thunderous crash. Jason's actions had taken on a life of their own as he lunged forward to grab Anthony by the throat.

Joseph pulled at his son's shoulders as he put a stop to the ensuing brawl with a simple statement. "All in due time son. All in due time." Anthony shot a quizzical look across the table confused by the statement. "Gentlemen, there's someone that I believe it's time you all met." Joseph motioned for Reggie to be escorted to the room.

All of a sudden Anthony felt as if he was in some sort of suspended animation. "YOU'RE A FUCKING DEAD MAN!!" Anthony bellowed in Reggie's direction. "IF YOU THINK THEY BEATING THEY GAVE YOU WAS SOMETHING... ..."

Joseph spoke over Anthony's frenzied tirade. "This is Reggie. He had been on the inside of the Malucci organization for quite awhile and the information that he was able to provide – I am sure you will find very interesting."

With a shaky hand, Anthony lifted the half-empty bottle to his glass again. Quickly he downed the amber liquid and filled the glass once more while Joseph watched. Joseph couldn't contain the smug smile that filled his features.

"I WANT TO SEE MR. MORGAN RIGHT NOW!!!" A woman's voice filtered its way into the study. "NO THIS CAN'T WAIT. A WOMAN'S LIFE DEPENDS ON MY SEEING MR. MORGAN!" Suddenly the body that voice belonged to burst into the room followed by another man Anthony knew all too well.

"I'm sorry boss," the man said as he directed his comment to Joseph instead of in his direction as Anthony had expected him to. "I tried to stop her but she wouldn't hear of it."

"That's fine Marco."

Anthony's eyes grew wide as he watched and listened to the conversation taking place between the man who had been in charge of Elizabeth for weeks now and Joseph. Add to that the fact that his housekeeper, Helena, was also standing in the room with some sort of tie to the Morgan family. The confusion that now encircled the room was noticeable. The men at the table were talking among themselves while Joseph had his attention centered on Helena and Marco.

"What the hell's going on here?!?" Jason's voice silenced the room.

"I apologize for the interruptions," Joseph said.

"Who are these people?" Jason questioned.

"This is Helena Marsters, Rocco's housekeeper... ..."

"And him?" Jason's patience was wearing thin.

"This is Marco. He's been at the Malucci compound since just before Rocco's death... ..."

"For what?" Jason prodded.

"If you would let me continue," Joseph huffed angered by his son's insolence. "He was placed there to serve as protection for Elizabeth."

"Did you say he was there for Elizabeth's PROTECTION!?!?" Jason asked with a mocking tone.

"Yes."

"Well then I think he needs to be schooled in exactly what the word _protection_ means!" Jason felt his breathing quicken as his fury was all consuming.

"What are you talking about?" Joseph questioned.

"Anthony's been terrorizing Elizabeth right under this oaf's nose. While Anthony's been using her for a damn punching bag what the hell has this lout been doing – watching?" Jason came forward to stand nose to nose with the man whose job he was now questioning.

"What are you saying Jason?" Joseph asked.

"I'm saying that Anthony finally pushed Elizabeth over the edge. He pushed her far enough to think she would be better off dead!" Jason choked on that single syllable word.

"WHAT?!?" Helena gasped unable to believe what she was hearing. "She's all right, isn't she?" her eyes implored Jason for the answer she so desperately needed to hear.

"I don't know," Jason returned somberly.

Joseph felt his blood begin to rise. His eyes rested hard on Anthony. A pang of guilt ran down his spine as he thought how he had failed his long time friend. The idea that Elizabeth had tried to harm herself, and indeed may have wore heavy on Joseph's heart that he hadn't acted sooner.

Anthony's eyes darted to the small group of people that he had considered his allies in his fight against the Morgan family. To now know that they had been working on the side of his enemy was a hard blow for him and his ego. He felt the beads of sweat forming on his brow. He loosened his shirt collar. Suddenly he felt like he couldn't breath. Anthony took slow deliberate breaths. Each on that filled his lungs caused a tightness to radiate through his chest.

Joseph's intent gaze took notice of Anthony's sudden quiet and panic in his eyes. A broad sardonic smile engulfed Joseph's face. He looked down at the nearly empty bottle of scotch that he had given Anthony hours before. He knew that the drug-laced amber liquid was finally taking affect. "Something wrong, Anthony?" he asked innocently.

"Is it hot in here?" Anthony shot back.

"No."

"I can't catch my breath... ..."

"You don't look good," Joseph tried to hide a smile.

"I don't feel too good." Anthony agreed as he held his left arm that was now almost numb. "Ahhh... ..." He gasped as a stabbing pain in his chest crippled him.

"How does it feel?"

"What??" Anthony closed his eyes and opened them again trying to clear his blurry vision while hanging desperately onto his chair for support..

"How does it feel to know that you are dying?"

"What?" the sheer terror in Anthony's voice rang in the ears of those in the room.

"Yes Anthony, you are indeed dying," Joseph jeered. "What does it feel like to know the same horrible death you forced on Rocco, your own father for god sakes, to endure?" All eyes were now drawn to Joseph. "You were so easy to play," he continued. "Your ego always – always is the thing that drives you, Anthony. Now it's going to drive you to your grave!"

Each member of the group stood in silence as Anthony died slowly before them. A tear wound its way down Helena's cheek. Not for the loss of Anthony's life but for the horrific way that Rocco Malucci had been forced to die.

Reggie looked around the room at the others focused their attention on Anthony. Quietly he began making his way to the exit. "Where do you think you are going?" Joseph asked as he motioned for the doorway to be blocked by two members of his army.

"No where," Reggie stuttered.

"Good. I believe we have some unfinished business."

Reggie gulped as his arms were taken into the strong grasp of the men closet to him. "Unfinished business?" he squeaked.

"Did you really think that I would let your offenses go without some sort of retribution?

"But ... you just said ... the ends justify the means." Reggie now began to sweat.

"So I did," Joseph concurred. "Consider yourself just part of the means!" Joseph nodded to the men to remover Reggie from the room. His screams could be heard throughout the Morgan mansion.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?!" Marco's voice permeated the room. "What are you doing?" he asked the men who had been his friends yet that were now holding him in much the same manner as Reggie had been.

"Given the information gathered here," Joseph began as he ran his hand across his face, "It appears that you need a lesson on what it exactly means to protect a person in your charge. Terror isn't a part of that protection!" Joseph bellowed as he drew his own gun and rested it at Marco's temple. "Letting your charge be beaten isn't part of that protection!" Joseph slapped Marco with enough force to send him stumbling. "You have failed in your duties for this family. Such a failure can not be overlooked." Joseph threw his hands up in the air disgusted by the man before him. "Get him out of my sight!" With those words Marco was escorted from the room to suffer the same fate as Reggie. "Pete," Joseph turned to the man dressed in a suit.

"Yes boss?"

"Jeff Webber's debate is set to begin in less than an hour. Here." Joseph handed the man over a large envelope. "You know what your instructions are, and now you also know your fate should you fail." Joseph raised his brow to make his point.

"Yes sir, I do."

"Good. Be on your way."

Joseph gathered those in the room and ushered them toward the door. "I wish to thank you all for coming today. Your cooperation was paramount. Rocco can finally rest in peace now," Joseph said as he closed the door. The soft click of the door hitting the frame was the last sound Anthony Malucci heard as he drew his final breath.


	51. Chapter 50

Jeff peered around the corner and watched as the vacant seats placed so neatly in the ballroom began to fill. He hated that his body felt like a bundle of nervous energy as he attempted to prepare himself for the upcoming debate. The several heated confrontations Jeff had had with Anthony in the past weeks, coupled with the information that Elizabeth had given him had Jeff more than a little apprehensive about what his son in law's role now was. If Anthony had truly lost the power that the Malucci name once wielded, Jeff knew that the aspirations he had attached to the Malucci train were about to derail. Jeff straightened his tie for the hundredth time that late afternoon and scanned the sea of faces for his daughter and her husband. They should have been there by now. Anthony was to be sitting at Jeff's right hand. He was to be there to show just who would be backing the Webber political machine. "Where are you?" Jeff said to himself scanning the crowd again.

"Congressman Webber," the moderator of the debate began, "We are just about to begin. If you would take your position behind your respective podium," the man suggested.

Jeff did a final inspection of the masses that filed into the large room. Still there was not a single sighting of either Elizabeth or Anthony. Jeff attempted to squash the nauseous feeling that had taken up residence in his stomach. Something wasn't right about all of this. "Something just isn't right," Jeff said softly as he reached for his briefcase sitting on the chair next to him. As he lifted the leather case into the air the clasp let loose and a mountain of files and papers scattered to the floor. "DAMN!!" Jeff growled as he started to gather his materials from the ground.

"Here let me help you," a young man offered as he bent down to aid Jeff with his efforts. He handed Jeff a pile of folders collected from the floor and was gone before Jeff had a chance to thank him.

"Congressman Webber, you need to be on stage now," the moderator said curtly.

Jeff adjusted the stack of folders in his hands and proceeded to his end of the stage. The debate began with the cursory opening remarks from the moderator listing the attributes of both candidates. Jeff shifted from side to side anxious for the event to begin. As he waited for the floor to be opened for questions, Jeff flipped through the array of folders before him. Suddenly his mouth went dry, almost as if someone had shoved a large ball of cotton in it. His eyes widened as he tried to focus on the sea of black letters forming words on the stark white page. Jeff swallowed hard around the lump that had come to sit in his throat as a feverish panic consumed him. The surrounding noises fell away leaving Jeff standing in his own eerie silence as his eyes narrowed in an attempt to read – believe what was on the piece of paper starring back at him.

It was Jeff's supposed long lost police report for the accident that had claimed the life of an innocent person. This was the police report that wasn't to exist anymore. Anthony had successfully buried it years ago. What was it doing in among his debate materials Jeff asked himself? "Anthony," he whispered softly as his head darted up in search of his son in law amid the crowd. "What sort of dirty trick are you trying to pull?" he asked as if Anthony were standing before him. The question fell on deaf ears. Anthony was no where to be found. Jeff suddenly was filled with a sense of dread.

Quickly he shuffled the folders as though by doing that it would somehow make his transgressions contained in that folder disappear. Jeff readjusted his tie once more and forced his mind to center on what was happening around him. No matter how hard he tried though he wasn't able to hold himself still. Jeff found himself fidgeting like a child waiting for his punishment to be doled out.

"We are now ready to field questions from the audience," the moderator stated.

Jeff listened to the first question that was directed to his opponent. He began scanning his own material so that he could construct his opinion on the matter. The bottom suddenly dropped out of his stomach as his eyes rested on a letter written in neat script.

_Please know that you are the final link in righting_

_the wrongs committed against Elizabeth and Rocco._

_Malucci. You sold your daughter to the highest bidder_

_to save your own hide. You are nothing more than a_

_coward and cowards are something I won't tolerate._

_Enjoy your final moment in the limelight. Be assured _

_it will be your** last**!!!_

Joseph Morgan 

Jason and Joseph sat quietly at opposite corners of the room. Occasionally their eyes were drawn to the spot on the floor where Anthony's lifeless body had been. Jason was having a difficult time fathoming all his father had known and how much he had been kept in the dark about it all. He brought the glass of vodka to his lips while his eyes peered over its rim at his father. Jason's emotions had him torn in so many directions he didn't know if he was supposed to revel in his father's vast knowledge or hate the man who had left Elizabeth holding on by a thread when he hadn't had to.

"Jason," his father's voice disturbed him. "I would like to speak to with you. That is if you feel we can," Joseph hesitated. Jason only nodded. "I am so very sorry about all of this. I am sorry that Elizabeth was left in such a precarious situation. That was never my intention."

There it was again, Elizabeth's name. "Don't!" Jason stopped Joseph from continuing. He didn't want to think about her but his brain wasn't giving him a choice. It bombarded him with memories and not just the bad memories but the good ones as well. "What the hell were you thinking?!?" Jason lashed out at his father. "What were you thinking keeping me in the dark like that?!?" Jason's voice rose in anger. "I am supposed to be your second for god sakes!! You should have told me what was going on!" Jason glared in Joseph's direction. "I could have helped Elizabeth... ..." Jason's voice trailed off as he choked on a sob that was trying to escape.

"Jason," apprehensively Joseph edged closer to his son. "Please try to see this from my point of view. Give me that small benefit please?" Joseph almost sounded as if he was pleading for an understanding he wasn't quite sure he would be able to attain.

"Why?" Jason countered harshly as he took another gulp of vodka.

"I did what I thought was best for the organization as a whole... ..."

"Fuck the organization!" Jason spat.

Joseph was taken aback by his son's venom. However, he completely understood it. Love is an irrational emotion that caused people to take leave of all that was normal and logical for them. "I understand your anger, truly I do, but you know that that statement just isn't possible. I had to do what I thought was right to preserve our way of life."

"AT THE COST OF ELIZABETH'S!?!?!" Jason's voice came out in a strangled cry.

"Jason, when I looked at you all I saw at first was what I thought was a man driven by revenge or lust. When I finally understood the depth of feelings you carried for Elizabeth... well honestly that frightened me all the more. I knew that wasn't going to serve us... ..."

"I don't care!" Jason said sternly but his tone was somewhat softer. He crossed the room to fill his glass with more clear liquid. He wasn't sure what to say to rebut his father's words. He couldn't. Since Jason himself had been wrestling with his own conscious regarding Elizabeth for quite awhile now. "If you knew all the things that Anthony was doing – that he let his own father die right in front of him – how could you not have stepped in and protected Elizabeth?!?!" Jason finally asked.

"I am regretful that the man I chose to safeguard Elizabeth was such an incompetent. I realize that my disposing of Marco can't erase the hell that Elizabeth was put through. For that I am truly sorry."

"Too little too late," Jason scoffed.

"I let my own vengeance get the better of me." Joseph continued with his explanation. "When I found out what Anthony had done to Rocco," Joseph sighed reliving that moment all over again. "I just couldn't see straight. It completely clouded every one of my thoughts so all I could see was righting the wrong done to my life long friend."

"What about all the wrongs perpetrated against Elizabeth? Did those somehow not count?" Jason questioned sarcastically. "Her father is at the heart of it all. It was him who started her decent into hell... ..."

"Not to worry Jason. I assure you all the wrongs will be righted tonight."

"So then we aren't so different?" Jason asked as he raised his brow.

"Apparently not," Joseph conceded.

Jeff felt his mouth begin to water as he read and reread the neatly placed threat before him. Every calm thought that he had been trying to focus on had been replaced by sheer frenzied terror. Jeff's memory brought him back to the night of the Coronary Care Benefit when he had made a failed attempt at changing sides. Joseph Morgan's words that night hadn't meant much to Jeff at the time yet now the recollection was quite poignant.

_'Seems to me sir, you took a gamble and lost. Now it's time to pay the piper. Might I suggest that you tell your current benefactor that as well? If you'll excuse me... ...good evening, Anthony,' Jeff then watched Joseph rub shoulders with his friend's only son. "It appears that all your rats are about to jump ship.'_

"Congressman Webber," the moderator's words invaded Jeff's memory of that night. "The floor is now yours." A voice in the back of his mind calmly instructed him on just how he was supposed to breathe. In – out – in – out – in – out, it repeated over and over again.

As the debate wore on, Jeff finally began to relax a bit. The questions were filled with typical political propaganda. Jeff had very little trouble giving his slant on each and every one of them all. "Congressman Webber?" A voice came from the rear of the room.

"Yes," Jeff responded.

"What's your position on drunk driving?" the man asked with purpose.

"Excuse me?" Jeff ran his hands along his shirt collar.

"What do you believe is an appropriate punishment to be levied against someone who kills an innocent bystander while driving under the influence?"

"Well... ...ah... ...I... ..." Jeff stammered.

"I assume you have some position on the matter seeing as how you got off scott free on your own personal incident."

"What? I don't know what you are talking about," Jeff said with a shaky voice.

"Oh – but I think that you do," the man said with a cryptic smile.

Immediately the other members of the press jumped on the bandwagon firing question after question that Jeff Webber had no answers for, or rather no answers he wished to reveal. Jeff felt the world spinning out of control right underneath his feet. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath that he took. He reached for the podium to steady his stance as his well-orchestrated life abruptly fell to pieces.

"Please do tell us how you atoned for climbing behind the wheel of your car and killing an innocent person in a drunken binge," the anonymous face in the crowd pressed.

Jeff watched as the mass of faces in front of him converged into one. He stumbled, as he felt faint.

"Congressman Webber has no knowledge of any such blemishes on his record. You are severely misinformed," Jeff's aide came to his rescue. "I am asking the moderator to calm the room before we continue with this debate. Mud slinging of this sort isn't the kind of campaign that Congressman Webber is running."

Gratefully Jeff let himself be led off stage by his loyal aide. He was desperate to try to assemble some sort of damage control for this all. However, before Jeff was able to exit the stages the doors to the ballroom swung open and several Chicago City police walked up the aisle. "Jeff Webber," the officer in front called out forcing Jeff to stop cold. "Mr. Webber you are under arrest."

"For what?" the aide questioned with annoyance.

"Vehicular homicide while under the influence." The officer returned. Those words silenced the room. "You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can not afford one, one will be appointed to you..."

"It's done boss," Pete smiled as he spoke into the mouthpiece of his phone. Pete eyes the chaos he had caused as he quietly slipped out of the room.

Jason looked on as a broad almost sinister smile filled his father's features. Jason was only able to hear Joseph's end of the conversation yet easily he surmised that Joseph was very pleased by whatever he was being told.

Jason found his mind still racing with so many random thoughts, yet sooner or later they all converged on Elizabeth. The knot in his stomach grew tighter with each minute that ticked passed without any word on her condition. Easily he could have put a call into Dr. Johnjulio for a status report but each time he went for the phone in his pocket something stopped him. Jason knew deep down that something was – fear. Fear of hearing the words his heart couldn't take – hearing that Elizabeth was dead.

"It's been done!" Joseph's delighted voice startled Jason.

"What's done?" he asked as his father's statement added to his confusion.

"Justice has been served – finally," Joseph stated.

"Enough already!" Jason nearly shouted in aggravation. "What are you talking about?"

"Let's just say that everyone's nice neat little lives were blown to bits this evening." Joseph smiled like a Cheshire cat.

Jason let out a heavy sigh. His father's need to talk in riddles was tiresome. "Whose life?" he questioned.

"Congressman Webber."

"How?"

"I dropped some not so subtle hints to the Police Commissioner about the 'good' Congressman's little brush with the law a few years back." Jason stared at Joseph intently as he listened carefully. "I suggested that the investigation be opened again and if he were to look closely I was sure that he would find a few missing pieces of evidence that had been swept under the rug. I told him it might not be such a good thing for the state of Illinois to have a senator with so many skeletons in his closet," Joseph said completely pleased with himself.

Jason shot his father a quizzical look. He didn't quite see how any of what he had just heard helped right the wrongs against Elizabeth.

"I thought you would be pleased," Joseph said sensing his son's ambivalence.

"Pleased about what?" Jason shot back.

"That Jeff Webber was finally getting what he so richly deserved."

"That certainly doesn't negate all the damage he's already inflicted on her. The damage has been long done. Nothing is going to change that."

"Yes, the damage has been done," Joseph agreed. "You are right nothing will change that but believe me, Jason, Jeff Webber will pay for every crime against Elizabeth. He will pay dearly my son. Death would have been far too good for him. Jeff Webber will have a long time to suffer while he rots in his jail cell at Marion."

Jason's eyes widened at the mention of Marion prison. It was no secret that several of the guards there were on the Morgan payroll. For the first time that day Jason felt the corners of his mouth begin to turn upward. Indeed his father had known what he was doing. Jeff Webber would be tortured within inches of his life but would never be allowed to die. His torment would be long and very painful. The shrill ringing of the phone perched on Joseph's desk interrupted Jason's sadistic thoughts.

"Hello," Joseph said into the receiver. "That's wonderful news. Yes, I will be sure to tell him."

"What's wonderful news?" Jason questioned as he wondered what else his father had up his sleeve.

"Son, that was Harold." Jason immediately froze in place. "Elizabeth is stable and semi-conscious." Without warning tears of joy cascaded down Jason's face. "Elizabeth's going to be fine, Jason. She's okay."

He couldn't believe those words. He had wanted to hear them so badly – had spent so much time trying to convince himself that she wasn't going to die – to now hear it was unbelievable. The emotional dam that he had had inside of him since he first found Elizabeth at his penthouse was now broken releasing a flurry of joy and tears. Jason stood in the middle of Joseph's studying crying like a baby.

"Jason," Joseph began softly. "Go to her. Be with the woman you love. Be with Elizabeth openly. The way it should have always been." Jason stared at his father curiously through his teary eyes. "I can't apologize enough for all the mistakes I made. While at the time I thought I was doing what was best... ..." he stumbled as he searched for the words. "... ...I know now that I was just a stubborn man unwilling to bend. I am sorry. I hope that one day you might find it in your heart to forgive me," Joseph said as tears began to fill his own eyes.

Jason reached out and gently touched his father's shoulder. He gave the man a half smile. God had given him a second chance with Elizabeth, Jason couldn't imagine not doing the same for his father. Joseph nodded understanding that he and his son had many fences to mend but that one day they all would be mended. "Go – GO see Elizabeth!" Joseph smiled as he watched Jason dash from the room.


	52. Chapter 51

Elizabeth shaded her eyes from the bright ceiling light as she tried to clear the confusion from her brain. Where was she? Slowly the memory of what she had attempted flooded her. Had she succeeded? Was she in heaven? Where was Rocco? Elizabeth scanned the room almost as though she was searching for those she had loved and lost as her mind played tricks on her. It wasn't until the monotone beeps from the various monitors encircling her and the blaring voices from the overhead hospital paging system fully registered in Elizabeth's mind exactly where she was. Suddenly her heart sank as the realization that she indeed wasn't in heaven fully set in. Elizabeth pulled her knees tight against her body as the tears began silently falling. Rocco was dead and she was alive. Why was she still alive? An angry voice from within her head demanded. All the guilt and pain of living her life without Rocco should have been over by now. But that wasn't the case at all. She was still breathing. "WHY!?!?" Elizabeth nearly shouted.

"Miss?" a voice from beside the bed startled her. She turned her head to see a sturdy looking nurse in her late fifties looking back at her.

"Huh?" Elizabeth grunted.

"Are you all right?"

How was Elizabeth supposed to answer that question? She wasn't all right. She hadn't been all right in so many years she had lost count. However that wasn't entirely true. The soft voice radiating from her heart spoke of the great love it still harbored for Jason Morgan. "NO!" she said as she tried to silence the ever-present voice.

"Does something hurt you? Do you need me to get you something?" the nurse asked. She assumed that Elizabeth's statement was an answer to her question.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Elizabeth ordered.

The outburst stunned the older woman quiet. Elizabeth turned her face away from her as she focused all her energy on starring at the blank surface of the wall. Her heart and head wrestled with one another as thoughts and images of Jason engulfed her to the point Elizabeth thought she was drowning. She didn't deserve Jason. She didn't deserve the happiness that he had given her. She was the reason Rocco was no longer on this earth. Why hadn't she just settled for her life of unhappiness – settled for her loveless marriage to Anthony? If she just hadn't been so selfish Rocco would still have been alive. Elizabeth choked on a sob as she closed her eyes only to be bombarded by the image of Rocco lying prone on the floor with his hand inches away from his pill bottle. "It's all my fault!" she gasped pulling the stiff white blanket closer to her neck.

"Miss?" the nurse tentatively touched Elizabeth's shoulder. With great force Elizabeth used her own hand and threw the older woman's away from her body. The tears rolled down her face uncontrollably. No matter how much she wished for that small voice in her heart to vanish it wouldn't. She loved Jason Morgan with everything her heart had to give. Yet, right at that moment it wasn't the comfort it once had been. All Elizabeth could think about was how that love had cost her another. All she could think of was how her loving Jason had forced Rocco to forfeit his life.

_'You do love Jason. You do love Jason. You do love Jason,'_ the soft voice spoke repeatedly from Elizabeth's heart.

Suddenly Elizabeth's eyes shot up only to see Jason standing in the door before her. It was like her body had known he was there without needing to even see him. Her natural response was to immediately smile. Which was all Jason needed to rush forward and claim her. Easily his strong arms consumed her. Tears sprang forth from his eyes before he could stop them. She was alive. Elizabeth was alive. His heart sang with joy. Jason motioned for the older woman who had been keeping watch over Elizabeth that she was no longer needed. Jason had every intention of never letting Elizabeth out of his sight again. "Thank god you are all right," he sighed as he buried his nose deep within her curls.

For a moment Elizabeth let down her defenses and reveled in Jason's embrace. She rested her ear against his chest as she had done so many times before and listened to his heart beating rhythmically. This was where she belonged. She belonged in Jason's arms. As she closed her eyes again, she was blasted with her own horrible memories of what being in this very position had cost her. Instantly she pushed Jason's body away from hers with great force.

Jason was openly stunned by her actions. Yet when he looked deep into her cerulean colored eyes he saw a great rage. "Elizabeth?" he questioned her softly as he tried again to hold her in his arms.

"DON'T!!" she ordered putting her hands out to stop him from coming any closer.

"What?" Jason's confusion was abundant. "Baby, I love you," he whispered.

"STOP IT!!" Elizabeth forced as she placed her hands over her ears as if the action would have made Jason's declaration null and void.

"Baby, what's going on?"

"WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LET ME DIE!?! WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND LET ME ESCAPE THIS HELL ON EARTH I AM LIVING!?!?" Elizabeth seethed. Jason's face contorted in the pain that radiated from the woman he loved more than his own life. All he wanted to do was make it all disappear for her. His only desire was to hold her yet she wouldn't let him get near her. "DAMN YOU!!" she yelled. "THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ALL OVER BY NOW. I WOULDN'T HAVE TO SEE ROCCO'S FACE EVERY TIME I CLOSE MY EYES IF YOU WOULD HAVE JUST LET ME DIE!!"

"I couldn't," Jason cried. "I love you."

There again were the words Elizabeth couldn't let herself hear. She couldn't let them get mixed up inside of her again. She turned her face away from Jason's. Looking at him only made things that much harder.

_'You do love him... You do love him... You do love him,' _her heart spoke again.

Elizabeth focused her attention on the tubes and leads attached to her body. She didn't know if any of them were technically keeping her alive. If they were they wouldn't be for long. Frantically she began tugging and ripping at each IV. Much to Jason's horror. "What are you doing?!?!" he yelled as he reached for her flailing hands.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!! JUST LEAVE ME TO DIE!!"

"NO!" Jason shouted back. He pulled her hand and arms together in his own. Elizabeth continued to struggle beneath his grasp. It was a struggled fueled by anger, frustration and guilt yet somewhere through it all it dissolved into waves of tears.

Jason felt his cheeks grow damp as he held Elizabeth's sobbing body. He felt every ounce of her agony. While he hadn't lived her life or knew all of its intricacies, he loved her. That meant that what pained her pained him as well. He was doing his best to calm her. He ran his hands in a circular motion along her back until her breathing returned to a normal pace. "Are you all right?" he finally asked as he pulled back and looked at her tear stained face. She only nodded. She didn't trust her voice. She was still running high on emotions. Gently Jason kissed her forehead as his arms engulfed her again. "Elizabeth," he began softly. "It's over. All of it, it's all over." She pulled back and shot him a questioning glance. "The hell you have been living – it's no more. Everyone and everything that's hurt you in the past can't hurt you anymore!" Jason stated with a half smile.

"What?" she asked.

"You are free. We are free!" Jason delight dripped from his voice. "We are finally free to be together the way we should have been in the first place."

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide with his explanation. Rather than the words making sense and permeating her brain there were bouncing around in an abstract fashion. She was free? They were free? What exactly did that mean? She'd never be free of the demons that plagued her conscious. "What?" she repeated.

"NO one can hurt you anymore, baby. NO ONE!" Jason stressed.

"How?? How can that be?" Elizabeth stammered. She knew the answer to her own question. For as long as she had been Anthony's wife, Elizabeth knew how 'la familia' worked, but right now she needed to hear it aloud.

"It doesn't matter how. All that matters is that it's finally over."

"It matters Jason. Tell me. What did you do?"

Suddenly Elizabeth sounded like Elizabeth to Jason again. She was pushing him, prodding him for answers. While the last thing he wanted to do was tell her what had transpired that afternoon, it was all music to his ears. "I," Jason stressed, "didn't do anything."

"Who then?" Elizabeth pressed.

"Why does it matter?" Jason heard the agitation creep into his voice.

"Because it does. What happened? Tell me everything!" Elizabeth said as though it was an order.

"Baby, I will but not right now. You need to rest," Jason offered as he tried to get her to lay back against the bed.

Elizabeth made her body rigid. "What happened Jason?" He let out an exhausted sigh. He knew arguing with her had always been a fruitless effort. He paced before her bed as she anxiously waited for him to begin. He was trying to find a way to take the edge off of all that happened. "Jason?!?!" There was urgency to her tone.

He perched himself on the edge of her hospital bed and struggled with his words as he reconstructed the events of the day. Elizabeth sat silent in awe of everything she was hearing. Anthony was dead. Her father was on his way to jail. Those two things just weren't computing in her brain at the moment. Anthony – dead, there was a part of Elizabeth that was jumping for joy. All those times she had wished that very fate on him, to now know that it was a reality – it was beyond belief. He father on the other hand elicited a mixed reaction from her. Yes, Jeff Webber deserved every horrible thing that was sure to happen to him at Marion, but there was a part of Elizabeth that was dying inside at the thought of losing another parent, even if that parent had been a horrible one.

"... ... ...so you see you are free now. No one can hurt you anymore, baby." Jason's voice interrupted her private train of thought.

"You really think its that simple don't you?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Yes. I love you and I know you love me. It is simple," Jason stated plainly.

"It's never been simple Jason. You've always told me that."

"Now it can be."

"How? How do you expect me to just forget what our love has cost us? You want me to pretend that our being together wasn't the thing that cost Rocco his life?" Elizabeth cried.

"What? What do you mean cost Rocco his life? For heaven sakes Elizabeth the man was sick. We didn't cause his death. His illness did."

"No – not the illness. Anthony caused Rocco's death and that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been sleeping with you!"

"I think now you are the one making this too simple." Jason couldn't hide the hurt her statement had caused him. "Our relationship was only one part of the bigger picture. A very minimal part. I love you, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth searched Jason's sullen face in the hope that she would find the right way to explain what she was feeling. She closed her eyes, but not having to look at him while she spoke didn't make what she had to say any easier. "I'm sorry Jason... ..."

"Sorry?" he stopped her mid sentence. He didn't want to hear what was coming next. He didn't want to hear that she didn't love him back.

"I don't want to have to say this but I don't know what else to do."

"What – so you suddenly don't love me anymore?" Jason asked beating her to the punch.

"No!" she gasped. "Jason, I love you. I love you so much that it hurts. But I just have to stop thinking with my heart, Jason. Our hearts are what got us into this mess... ..."

"Mess? Mess – that's what you are calling what we feel for one another?"

"Jason, don't ... ..."

"Don't what? Don't love you? You know what Elizabeth? I didn't know I got a choice in that. The second I laid my eyes on you I loved you. I knew it was wrong. I knew that it couldn't be but it didn't matter. I loved you anyway. I want my life to be with you."

"I don't know what I want right now. I need time Jason. I need time to figure out who the hell I am anymore. I have done so many things, seen too much to even know who Elizabeth is."

Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing. Elizabeth was basically letting him go. After all that they had been through for one another, she was walking away. He left as though he had just been kicked in the stomach.

"Jason?" Elizabeth softly touched his hand.

He forced his eyes to meet hers, which were quickly filling with tears. Jason's chest rose and fell as he desperately tried to stop his own tears from falling. He knew there was nothing he could ever deny her. If he had been able to before they wouldn't have been where they now were. As Jason began to speak his heart was breaking into thousands of pieces yet he couldn't not give Elizabeth the time she asked for, nor could he imagine what she must have been feeling. The small amount she had expressed to him showed how much responsibility she felt for everything that had happened. Deep down Jason knew she needed the time to heal, maybe the both did.

"I love you, Elizabeth. No amount of time is going to change that. You take all the time you need." He kissed her gently on the cheek. "You will forever be a part of me. You know that don't you?"

"Yes. And you me." She held onto his hand as he walked from the room until their fingers barely touched. "I love you, Jason," she whispered as the nurse again took her position on the chair in the corner of the room.

Joseph heard a car door. He quickly made his way to the foyer. He had been waiting for Jason with news of Elizabeth's condition. "Jason," he said as he opened the door. "Oh," he sighed at the sight of his eldest son.

"Glad to see you too Papa," AJ countered.

"No – no I was hoping you were Jason."

AJ felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Why was it always Jason his father was concerned with? "Well, wait no more." AJ pointed toward Jason's black Porsche speeding up the drive.

Jason caught sight of his father and brother standing at the entrance of the house. He shook his head. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation with his brother.

"How is she?" Joseph asked before Jason even had the chance to vacate his car.

"She's alive."

"Who's alive?" AJ questioned anxiously.

"Elizabeth," Joseph stated. "I know she's alive, Jason," he continued. "But, really how is she?"

"How do you think she is?" Jason shot back. The anger that he wasn't able to show Elizabeth was now spewing forth.

"Didn't you explain to her that she has nothing to fear any longer? Did you tell her that you can be together now?"

"Yes... ..." Jason began but was interrupted by the sound of AJ's enraged voice.

"This is about Malucci's wife isn't it?!? Papa, fixed it so you could have something that didn't belong to you – didn't he?" AJ bellowed in disbelief.

"AJ, you don't have any idea what is involved in all of this," Joseph stated. He could see the storm brewing between the brothers and attempted to put a stop to it. A battle wasn't something any of them needed right now.

"The hell I don't!" AJ yelled back. "I know that his," he pointed his finger directly at Jason, "fucking another man's wife left me without a child and with a wife who hasn't so much as left our house much less the nursery since it happened!" AJ choked on his words. He had been watching Courtney for weeks on end now rocking back and forth in the rocker in the corner of the room that was to be their baby's nursery.

"I'm sorry for your loss AJ but I've lost things too!" Jason spat with his own hurt and angry voice.

"What you lost was never yours to begin with!!" AJ talked over his father's question.

"ENOUGH!! Both of you that's enough!" Joseph stepped between the two warring factions. "We all have lost things. I can't let that destroy this family. I lost a dear friend. AJ, you and Courtney lost a child. It's painful. It feels like you will never survive it but you will. You and Courtney are strong. You love one another. You will weather this tragedy."

"I wish I believed that," AJ said softly.

"You will son." Joseph rested his arm gently around AJ's shoulder.

"Jason, what happened with Elizabeth at the clinic?"

Jason poured himself a stiff drink. He knew he was going to need it if he was to relive what had transpired between him and Elizabeth. Both AJ and Joseph sat quietly listening to all that Jason had to say. AJ was taken aback by what he heard. For the first time he was finally seeing things with a new clarity into what he thought was his brother's 'sainted' existence. Yes, he and Courtney right now were stuck in a black hole of despair, but they still had one another. They still had their love to hold onto. Looking at Jason's eyes filling with tears, AJ finally saw what a heavy price his brother had paid for the life he was tied to.

"Jason, you did the right thing, giving Elizabeth the time she needs," Joseph said searching for a way to ease his son's broken spirit.

"What if after all of this, what if I still end up without the person I love?" Jason said more to himself than the others in the room.

Joseph and AJ were left to ponder that thought as Jason made a hasty exit.


	53. Chapter 52

For the last three months Joseph felt like he was suspended in time. Nothing he did brought those he loved any closer to happiness. Joseph hadn't stopped wondering if in the long run he hadn't been more of a hindrance than help. For all his careful planning everything still had ended up a complete shambles. Both his sons were miserable and not any closer to repairing their strained relationship. According to what he had been told by Helena, Elizabeth was barely speaking even to her, and the pleasure that Joseph thought he would have derived from avenging Rocco's death had only served to leave him with a gaping hole in his heart.

He found his eyes resting on the mantle full of family photos. Over the last several days he had spent the long afternoons just starring at what once was. He saw smiling faces. He saw laughter. He saw love, however, now Joseph only saw pain, despair and heartache. None of those things were what he had envisioned for his family. With all that power that he knew he wielded, Joseph had no control over anything anymore and that frustrated him.

All the people he loved the most in the world were now shells of their former selves. His daughter in law was still being crushed by the heavy weight of the loss of her unborn child and AJ couldn't do a damn thing about that but stand idly by and watch it happening. Jason was like a ghost. He drifted from day to day expressionless and sullen. Each time that Joseph tried to reach out to him his advances were brushed aside. Jason still had so much anger for how his father handled, or hadn't handled things. Joseph's head understood Jason's stand offish behavior but his heart ached that his son wouldn't let him help. Then there was Elizabeth. The girl who he was supposed to protect and care for. He had failed Rocco miserably on that account. The idea that Elizabeth had attempted to take her own life still haunted him. He had been so caught up in his own agenda that he had lost sight of the things that really mattered, the things that his friend had wanted.

"I'm sorry, my friend," Joseph said to the room around him. "I am so sorry I failed you." He let out a heavy sigh. How he longed to be able to talk to Rocco. Back in the day he and Rocco had been each others confidant, one another's sounding board when a crucial decision needed to be made. Now when he needed his friend the most he wasn't there, and Joseph couldn't help but blame himself for that. If he had only acted sooner. If he had only listened to Jason when it had come to Anthony. If he had only not been so blind and pigheaded. So many what ifs ran through Joseph's mind that he was beginning to get seasick from all the motion. Slowly he rose from his chair and pulled on his overcoat. Rocco may not have been able to answer him anymore but Joseph could still talk to him, maybe with any luck even get some divine guidance.

The path that led to the Malucci family crypt was windy. Slowly Joseph plodded his way along it rehearsing what he wanted to say to his friend. As he crested the small hill, Joseph stopped short. He saw a slender figure kneeling before Rocco's grave. He moved a bit closer and knew that it was Elizabeth.

Elizabeth ran her fingers along the etched letters that spelled out Rocco's name in the black granite.

_Rocco Xavier Malucci_

_Born 1939 – Died 2002_

_Beloved father_

_Trusted friend_

_He will be greatly missed_

Elizabeth's eyes again clouded with tears as she read the engraving on the headstone. "I miss you so much," she cried. "Anthony's dead," Elizabeth stated. "My father is on his way to prison for his crimes. And I – I'm happy about those things. That scares me," she gasped. "What kind of person does that make me?" she questioned.

Joseph felt the strings to his heart tug at him as he listened to her anguished voice talking to the man he loved as much as he knew she did.

"What sort of woman revels in her husband's death and it thankful that her father will finally pay for all his crimes? What kind of person takes pleasures where she can find them while those that she loves are left to die?" Elizabeth choked on those words.

Joseph's eyes grew damp as the realization of how much responsibility Elizabeth felt for Rocco's death hit him.

"You know I was with Jason Morgan the night you died? He was the man you encouraged me to find happiness with. I wonder if you would have been so willing to do that if you had known it was Jason? I tried so hard to fight my feelings – but nothing I did worked. Every time I closed my eyes I would see his face. The gentle way he spoke to me – touched me. The way he treated me like a lady. Things that Anthony never did. Jason made me know what it was like to feel true unconditional love. His family showed me that this way of life of ours didn't have to be so brutal. They showed me what it was like to sit around the dinner table and enjoy one another's company."

Joseph smiled. He had always prided himself on giving his family the things that Elizabeth talked about. It was nice to finally know that he had succeeded and someone other than himself had seen it.

"I know my relationship with Jason was wrong. I knew it from the very beginning, yet some force beyond my control kept pushing me forward toward him. Even when Anthony threatened to kill Jason I still couldn't stop myself from wanting him!" Elizabeth cursed herself.

Joseph let out a heavy sigh as he continued to listen to her private conversation.

"Is it me? Am I doomed? Am I doomed to forever lose the people that I love?" Elizabeth asked the rhetorical question aloud. "I lost my mom. No matter what I did to try to help her, to save her I couldn't. I lost you, Rocco. You didn't have to die. At least not the way that you did. Not some horrible, painful death. I could have stopped that. If I had only gone home with you but NO I had to spend the night with Jason... ..." Elizabeth's voice dissolved into a flood of tears.

Joseph watched as Elizabeth laid her trembling body against the grass covering Rocco's grave.

"I deserve to be miserable. I don't deserve to be happy with Jason. I don't deserve the wonderful things I found with him. I don't deserve... ..."

"That's nonsense!" Joseph stepped out of the shadows startling her. "You deserve as much happiness as the world can offer you." Elizabeth couldn't do much more than stare wide eyed at him as he spoke. "Rocco loved you. He thought of you as his own flesh and blood. You were as much a daughter to him as Emily is to me. Your happiness and safety was all Rocco was ever concerned with. When it came right down to it – in the end that's all that mattered to him."

"You're wrong," Elizabeth said as she stood up and faced Joseph. "His health is what should have mattered. I should have taken better care of him. I lived with Anthony day in and day out. I knew what he was capable of, what kind of monster he was and more importantly how little regard for his father he had. I should have been there!!" Elizabeth shouted. "Instead I was off sneaking around, playing footsie with a man I had no right to be doing it with! Rocco's concern for me only left him dead!!"

"No Elizabeth, you are the one who is wrong. You are wrong if you think that you should blame yourself for Rocco's death. You couldn't have stopped what happened if you had been in the house or not. You would have more than likely ended up dead yourself... ..."

"I deserve to be dead," Elizabeth said plainly.

"THE HELL YOU DO!!"

"I just want this all to end!" Tears were now streaming down her face as she spoke. "I don't want to live in this world anymore."

"You don't have a choice Elizabeth. Too many people love you to just let you wither away and die."

Joseph's words brought back the memory of a conversation that she had had with Rocco regarding his sister Anna. How he had wanted more for her. How he had wanted a life filled with the love that his sister had been denied. "Rocco told me that once," she said softly.

"Elizabeth, you have to understand how much you meant to Rocco. He saw things in you that you couldn't see in yourself. He wanted you to blossom and grow. He wanted to protect you with all he had to give. That mattered so much to him that Rocco was even willing to sacrifice his own son to accomplish it."

"He sacrificed himself," she again choked on a sob.

"Maybe, but it was a sacrifice he made willingly. A sacrifice that any father would make for their daughter... ..."

"Mine never would have," Elizabeth said as flashed of her own selfish father came to mind.

"If you haven't noticed he's paying dearly for that mistake."

"Maybe, but he's still alive!" Elizabeth was able to get past the fact that Rocco was dead.

"Honey, Rocco is at peace now. There isn't anymore pain for him. He no longer has to curse at himself for the things that he can no longer do of his own free will. You have to stop blaming yourself. He wouldn't want that. I don't want that. I myself feel guilty for all of the things that I could have done to stop this and didn't. I know what living with guilt is like. I do it everyday of my life. But Elizabeth, there isn't any reason for you to. You don't have to feel guilty for finding happiness with my son. Rocco wanted you to find it. He wanted, needed you to have the life his sister never would. Don't deny him that now. Don't deny yourself, don't deny Jason the wonders that you love can bring to the both of you."

"I don't know anymore."

"Yes you do. You're just too scared right now to believe in what I already know. That you and Jason belong together. Do you love my son?" Joseph asked. Elizabeth hesitated. While she knew the answer to his question her heart and head were at war with one another once more. The guilt that consumed her every thought nearly strangled her while her love for Jason teemed through her heart. "Elizabeth," Joseph prodded. "Do you love Jason?"

"It's not that simple," she said in hushed tones, as her eyes remained fixed on Rocco's headstone. The memory of Rocco's expressing his want of a better life for her was so vivid. They were almost like a Technicolor dream.

"It can be. If you will just let it."

"How can you be for all of this?" she questioned. "How can you stand to even look at me knowing what my husband put your family through?" she cried.

"You are certainly not to blame for any of the things that Anthony did. Anthony was cruel and maniacal long before you ever entered his life. No one in their right mind would see fit to blame you for any of Anthony's crimes. But more importantly because my son loves you, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth felt the words her heart wanted to speak catch in her throat. He brain still had control.

"I want you to know no matter what you believe right now you are a good person who deserves happiness and love. I would be proud to one day call you, daughter." Joseph smiled softly as he took Elizabeth by the hand.

That simple gesture freed Elizabeth's strangled voice. "I do love Jason, Mr. Morgan."

"I know," Joseph said. "Now let's go home."

Elizabeth and Joseph walked to his car in silence and for the first time since her hellish existence as Mrs. Anthony Malucci began she felt at peace.

Jason heard the soft knocking on his door but chose to ignore it. He didn't want to be bothered by whatever the person on the other side wanted him to think about. This was how he had spent the days, weeks and now months since he had left Elizabeth at the clinic. He had agreed to give her the time she needed but for him it had been too much time. He felt as if he was living in a barren wasteland of an existence. The next knock was followed by his father's voice, "Jason, please open the door. I need to speak with you." Reluctantly Jason picked himself up off of the bed and opened the door. "Would you mind putting on some decent clothes and coming downstairs with me? There's someone we need to speak to."

"No," Jason stated bluntly. "I'm not part of the business anymore. Whoever it is you can certainly handle without me."

"Jason please," Joseph stressed. "I assure you this is someone you need to see."

Something behind his father's eyes told him to play along. "Give me a minute," Jason said as he reached for a pair of black jeans draped across the chair adjacent to the window.

"I'll be in the hall waiting." Joseph closed the door behind him.

"Who's this important person... ..." Jason asked his father as he led him into the study. The sight of Elizabeth standing there forced the remainder of his sentence to be forgotten.

"I'll leave you two alone now," Joseph said as slipped quietly out of the room.

Jason adjusted his eyes. He couldn't believe that she was standing before him. It had been so similar to his reoccurring dream that he wasn't sure that this wasn't what it was – a dream. "Elizabeth?"

"Hello Jason." The sound of her sweet voice was all he needed to rush forward and take her in his arms. The sense of relief Jason felt was all consuming but was gone as fast as it had come when Elizabeth gently removed himself her his embrace. Suddenly he was thrown back in time. It was like the clinic all over again. Jason didn't think he could live with rejection one more time. "Jason," Elizabeth stuttered, "We need to talk."

Immediately he didn't like the sound of those words. "Why – so you can torture me some more?" Jason angry voice shot before his mind could stop it. "So you can tell me how much you love me but us being together is wrong?!? So what you can tell me that you need more time – or hell how about telling me no amount of time is going to be enough?!?" In the past months Jason's understanding of Elizabeth's need for time had festered and was now showing its ugly head in the form of anger.

Elizabeth was stunned by Jason's outburst. She was sure much in the same way he had been by her own at the clinic. She watched him pace like a caged animal as he waited for her to speak. "Jason," she stretched her hand toward him. "Jason, please come here." Her voice was soft and pleading. However, Jason remained rooted to where he was. "I'm sorry that I hurt you." Elizabeth realized how lame those words sounded but she wasn't sure how else to begin. Hesitantly she made her way to where Jason stood. She reached out and took his hand in her own. Instinctively their fingers laced together. "Thank you for everything," she began. "Thank you for giving me time. Thank you for loving me and most of all thank you for saving my life," Elizabeth swallowed hard around the lump in her throat as she said that.

Standing alone in that room with him all of the sudden brought so much into focus that had been blurry prior to that moment. Her many talks with Rocco and the things that Joseph said earlier slowly reinforced the person she remembered herself to be the person that her mother had taught her to be. Yes, she had made mistakes, but looking into Jason's crystal blue eyes right then Elizabeth knew that he hadn't been one of them.

"I couldn't let you die," Jason said as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. All at once his animosity toward her had evaporated into thin air. Having her so close to him again caused Jason to take leave of his senses as always. It was as though Elizabeth had captured him the way she had that very first time he'd seen her.

"Thank you." Elizabeth felt the tears pool in her eyes as she searched for the words she needed to make him understand. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Forgive you?"

"Yes, for the hell I must have put you through that day and all the days after that?"

Jason's immediate response was to yes – that anything had been worth it to have her back in his life. Yet he hesitated. "I admit that I didn't understand," he offered. "I love you Elizabeth. I would have done anything to have kept you safe but you shut me out. You thought that I didn't love you anymore. That thought slowly killed me inside. Then when I finally do get a phone call from you it's so cryptic... ..." Jason's words trailed off as in his mind he relived Elizabeth's phone call on that fateful day.

"I'm sorry." It was now Elizabeth's turn to envelop him in her arms. On the day she decided to end her life, she hadn't thought much about those she was leaving behind. Her only thoughts were of ending her own suffering. However, watching the anguish on Jason's face and knowing that she had been the cause broke her heart. "I don't think I can ever explain where my mind was that day. I just wanted it to be over. I couldn't live with myself anymore... ..."

"So why the sudden change of heart?" Jason pulled back still unable to truly let himself believe that she was there with him to stay.

"Your father," she stated simply.

"What?" Jason gave her a puzzled stare.

"Yes." Elizabeth answered his unspoken question. "Your father is a wise man. He told me not to let Rocco's death be in vain."

"Huh?"

"I don't really understand it myself," she said, "but he told me that Rocco wanted me to be happy. He wanted me to find love and have a wonderful life. A life that his sister would never have."

"Rocco's sister?" Jason was still confused.

"It really doesn't matter. All that matters, is I know your father was right. Rocco fought for me to have something more and if I didn't rush out and grab hold of it his death would have been all for nothing." Jason was still more than a little confused. "I know you have every right to tell me to go. I said some horrible things to you. I pushed you away but is there still a chance for us Jason? I love you," she whispered.

It was almost like a dream come true for him. After all these months Jason hadn't expected to hear those words pass from Elizabeth's lips to him again. Yes, there was still a part of him that didn't understand why she had forced him from her life. Maybe he never would but he wasn't about to let this precious creature leave his life one more time. Somehow together he would find a way to understand. Jason pulled her against his chest as him arms encircled her tiny waist. "I love you too, baby." Sweetly their lips met in a wonderful kiss with just a hint of passion that still coursed through them.

Jason rested his chin atop Elizabeth's head as he caught a glimpse of his father standing in the doorway as he watched the long awaited reunion of his son and Elizabeth. "Thank you," Jason mouthed. Joseph only nodded as he quietly slipped away again.


	54. Epilogue

_3 years later...... ..._

Jason slowed the pace of his Porsche as he neared the former Malucci compound. He hadn't cared to ever see that place again but lately something drew him there time and time again. He didn't know if it was some sort of morbid curiosity or if perhaps he just needed the reassurance that that part of his life was finally closed. The events from years before at times were still a vivid memory for Jason. So vivid that it felt as though he was reliving them.

He let his eyes be drawn to the thick gold band that encircled the third finger of his left hand. Instinctively a broad smile filled Jason's face. Indeed the calamity that had been Anthony Malucci was only a memory. He and Elizabeth had been married for almost two years and had finally been able to put the past in the past where it belonged. There were instances though when Jason still couldn't believe that after all they had been through to be together that they finally were. It amazed him. He had found the happiness that he had been craving for so long and now that he and Elizabeth no longer had to hide in the shadows it just made the happiness that much sweeter.

Jason looked again at the sprawling Malucci mansion and wondered who lived within its walls. He wondered if they would make the house into a home filled with love and laughter rather than a place of deceit and hatred it had been. Joseph had helped Elizabeth with the sale of the estate. She had been resistant at first. She explained that she felt if she sold Rocco's house it was like somehow selling him. Jason wasn't sure if she would ever completely be over the part she felt she played in Rocco's death. Joseph had been sensitive to Elizabeth's ties to Rocco, since he had them as well. He didn't push the issue in the beginning. He kept the Malucci mansion running even though Elizabeth no longer lived there. Finally Joseph approached her with an idea he was sure Elizabeth would find appropriate. He suggested that she sell the house and surrounding grounds and he would help her use the money to set up a foundation that would cover the medical expenses of those patients that didn't have health insurance. Joseph explained that he was sure that was something Rocco would have strongly been in favor of. Elizabeth agreed. Once he was given the go ahead, he put the house on the market and with a matter of nine months the sale of the house closed and Elizabeth and Joseph began work on the Malucci Memorial Foundation. He schooled her in the working of the organization and with the help of Dr. Harold Johnjulio they began reaching out to those in desperate need of medical attention but had been turned away due to lack of medical coverage. Jason was a bit surprised that his father enlisted the assistance of Dr. Johnjulio. However he was even more shocked that Don Morgan cut the ties that bound Harold Johnjulio to the darker side of the Morgan family. Joseph explained his actions to his son as necessary. He said that Harold had served his purposes well and that it was time that he was released from his 'family' obligations. Secretly though Joseph had done it as thanks for saving Elizabeth's life, yet no one, not even Harold Johnjulio would know that to be the true reason for Joseph's actions.

Jason looked at his watch and realized he was already running behind schedule. He could almost see Elizabeth tapping her foot peering out the window that overlooked the driveway as she waited for him to return. He shifted the transmission from neutral to first gear as his eyes caught sight of the huge arrangement of spring flowers that adorned Rocco's grave. Joseph had made sure when the mansion and grounds were sold that the portion that was the Malucci family crypt had been preserved as a place that he and Elizabeth could go to visit with Rocco anytime they so desired. By the looks of the flowers, Jason knew that his wife had been there recently. In the beginning Elizabeth made daily visits to Rocco's grave site. He found himself protesting the action saying that she needed to move on with her life, yet Joseph made him realize that she was. That she needed to make her own sort of peace with Rocco. As time wore on the visits became less frequent but still even now a week didn't go by without Elizabeth going there to visit at least once. Jason had grown to understand and on occasion went with her. He too had some thanks to give to the man who hadn't stood in the way of Elizabeth's happiness and knew that his son wasn't the man for her.

It was hard for Jason to imagine that he was good enough for her as well. With all that Elizabeth had endured in her life she still shone with a great human spirit. She was loving, kind and would lend a hand without so much as stopping to think about it. It was funny how in the beginning she had masked those qualities. How living with Anthony had forced up walls and barriers of protection. It was those things that had kept Elizabeth her sanity. Yet when Jason entered her life she dropped those defense mechanisms with him. He was keenly aware now that her letting go of those protective measures is what forced her over the edge that fateful night. It had taken him nearly a year to come to grips with the fact that he had played a role in Elizabeth's need to end her life. To this day it was still something that gnawed at him every now and again. Jason pushed those negative thoughts from his mind. Today was a celebration not a time for regret. He looked over at the large box perched on the passenger seat. Through the thin cellophane he could read the sprawling script painted in icing.

_Happy 1st Birthday_

_Matthew Xavier_

Jason couldn't help but grin. It was his son's first birthday. His son – that was an idea that he had never let himself dream about until Elizabeth and even then he never expected it to be fulfilled – but it had been.

"There you are – finally," Helena said with annoyance in her voice as she attempted to hide a faint smile.

"The bakery was a mad house," Jason fibbed as he placed the large sheet cake box on the counter. He watched as Helena busied herself with removing the large cake from its container. There had been a time not long ago when he would have never imagined having a former Malucci employee in his own employ but Helena was a completely different story. From the very beginning her only concerns had been for Elizabeth. She had been Elizabeth's confidant and at times even her keeper so when the Malucci estate was sold and the rest of the employees were given a letter of reference and modest severance, Jason asked Helena to help him plan his own house as he and Elizabeth planned to be married. The gesture touched both Elizabeth and the older woman. Quickly she became much more than an employee to Jason. She became his friend just as she had always been his wife's. When Elizabeth found out she was pregnant, Helena easily assumed the role of caretaker when Jason hadn't been able to do it himself. He recalled how the pair had nearly driven Elizabeth crazy until the day that Matthew entered the world.

"Thank you," Jason said as thoughts of all Helena had given and done for his family rushed him.

"For what?" she eyed him curiously. "Keeping Elizabeth from chasing you down this afternoon?" she joked.

"Well yes – for that," Jason laughed. He knew that that had to have not been an easy task. If anything his wife was headstrong. "But more for being Elizabeth's friend – my friend," he added. "Thanks for caring about what happened to her then and what happens to her now," Jason spoke softly as he choked a bit on an escaping tear. Every once in a while the notion of how close he had come to losing Elizabeth engulfed him.

"Don't thank me. She's easy to love, but I am sure you already know that. Don't you?" Jason smiled. "So are you. It's I who should be thanking you. You gave this lonely woman a home, a family and a beautiful baby boy's life to be a part of. So, thank you, Jason, thank you." Helena rested her hand gently on Jason's cheek and kissed him softly. "Now go fine Elizabeth, before she sends out the troops in search of you."

"Yes ma'ma!" Jason jokingly threw Helena a mock salute.

Jason stepped across the threshold of the great room and was bombarded by balloons, decorations and party favors. It looked as though there should have been a whole army of kids there rather than just his own son and two nieces. One of which was barely three months old.

"No ... no ... no!" Jason glanced sideways to see Zander chasing after Becca as she toddled around the kids table sampling all the treats. Emily's laughter filled Jason's ears as she giggled at her husband and daughter's display. He watched her cradle Gracie, the newest addition to their family. She was a natural mother. Jason could see it in her posture. It was hard to believe how young she truly was. Many times he had watched in secret as Elizabeth and Emily tended to their children. His heart would swell at the gentle way both women had with the small creatures, while he and Zander were all thumbs when it came to even the simple things.

"Becca tearing up the place again I see," Jason stated as he kissed his sister.

"Looks that way," Emily chuckled. "It looks like Zander could use my help. Would you mind?" she asked as she handed over Gracie without waiting for a response.

Jason wondered if he had truly ever thanked his sister for all she had done to help him get to this point in his life. It didn't matter how many times he denied his feelings for Elizabeth, Emily hadn't let him. She played dutiful matchmaker even when it had been against her better judgment. She had put herself in harms way so that he could have his heart's desire. Jason crossed the room to where Emily stood crouched down wiping chocolate smears from her daughter's cherub face. "I love you," he said as he rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Huh?" Emily was caught off guard by his remark.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Jas. What's this all about?" she questioned.

"What – can't a brother just tell his baby sister that he loves her?" Jason feigned a dejected expression.

"Yes," Emily returned slyly, "but I know that look and you want something. What – you want me to explain to Elizabeth why you have been absent for most of the party?" She punched his arm playfully.

"NO – then again that might not be such a bad idea," Jason laughed. "I just want you to know that I appreciate all that you did to get me here."

"What I did?"

"Yes. You were smart enough to see the love before I did. Thanks for thinking I deserved a shot at it. And I am sorry that I wasn't the best brother at times through it all... ..."

"Jason," she stopped him. "that's water under the bridge. You have Elizabeth but more importantly you are a happier man in all aspects of your life. That's what I always wanted for you. I love you too."

Jason and his sister shared an embrace. "Looks like she's off and running again," he said as he pointed to Becca who had made a mad dash for the other side of the room.

"Will you keep her a minute longer?" Emily asked about the sleeping baby in Jason's arms.

"Go – go before she destroys my house," Jason laughed. "Would you like some practice?" Jason asked as he offered a sleeping Gracie to his brother.

"Sure," AJ replied. "I will take all the practice I can get."

Jason noted that his brother seemed to have a glow brighter than his pregnant wife. Courtney was only a month or two away from delivering their baby. The couple had come a long way since the miscarriage. It had been an uphill battle for them especially as they watched the other members of their family having babies. It had taken nearly as long for AJ and Jason to come to some understanding as well. Both harbored a deep resentment towards the other for what they believed that the other had and they did not.

When Jason found out Elizabeth was pregnant with Matthew was when he decided it was time the brothers make amends. Jason had told AJ everything about his life, how much he despised him for leaving him holding the 'family' bag so to speak. How as a young man he watched as AJ and Emily were allowed to have lives while he was forced to be a man well before his time. It had amazed Jason to listen to the flip side of things from AJ's point of view. How he saw Jason as the chosen one, the one their father loved best. It was funny how a person's perception gets skewed along the way. By the end of the night, Jason had told his brother about his impending child and AJ revealed Courtney and he were finally at a point where they wanted to try for another baby. The brothers still had a great deal more road ahead of them but they had finally begun to see what it was like standing in the others shoes. "How's she feeling?" Jason asked as he motioned to Courtney.

"To quote her," AJ began, "Like a beached whale."

"Ah... ...," Jason laughed. "I remember those days. Why don't you take Gracie over to her so she can see that it's all worth the wait," Jason suggested.

"Excellent idea." AJ smiled and headed in the direction of his wife.

Jason smiled as he finally caught sight of his own wife. She and Helena were bringing out the cake and ice cream to the head table. To him she was still as breathtaking as she had been the first day that he had laid eyes on her. She juggled her role as wife, mother and corporate benefactor for the foundation with such ease that Jason was in total awe of her.

"We have come a long way haven't we son?" Joseph said as he placed his hand on Jason's shoulder.

"Yes. Yes we have," Jason responded as he scanned the room one more time. Joseph did the same. His once sullen family had finally been replaced with the happiness he had been longing for. His sons were friends again. He and Jason had reached a compromise. Their relationship had grown into a mutual respect rather than Don and underboss as Jason had always seen it. In fact Joseph had distanced Jason from the day to day operations of the business yet knew he could call on his son when a show of united strength was needed. Joseph happily turned Morgan Enterprises over to his youngest son. Jason had no problem turning a profit in the legitimate business world to the point where Morgan Enterprises was quite the mogul, nearly Fortune 500 status.

"I'm proud of you, Jason," Joseph stated.

"Thank you... ..."

"There you are," Elizabeth smiled broadly as she joined the father and son.

Jason pulled her into his arms and kissed her sweetly. "The bakery was crazy... ..."

"So I heard," Elizabeth laughed. "You think you are up to helping your son blow out the candles on his cake?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Jason took Elizabeth's hand in his as they walked toward where Helena was standing holding their boy. "Whoa – hey what are you doing?" Jason questioned as Elizabeth pulled him into the kitchen. "We're going in the wrong direction, don't you think?"

"Not at all," Elizabeth said with a sly smile as she placed a tempting kiss on his lips. Easily Jason let himself melt into the embrace and in turn deepened the kiss. "I love you, Mr. Morgan," she said breathlessly when they both came up for air. "You restored my faith in that emotion." Elizabeth laid her head against his chest. The commotion of the party just beyond the doorway fell away leaving them to revel in one another for the briefest moment. "You know I never expected to ever be this happy," she sighed.

"Neither did I," Jason agreed as he tightened his embrace around her tiny waist.

"I don't know where I would be right now if I had never met you," Elizabeth paused as she looked deep into the eyes of the man who had seen her through the worst possible times in her life. "Yes I do," she continued, "I'd still be stuck in a loveless marriage... ..."

"Shhhhh... ..." Jason silenced her words as he pressed his finger against her lips. "Don't – today is a celebration. Today is for our son. Today is for Matty and us." Jason kissed Elizabeth once more.

"I love you, Jason."

"And I love you. I think we better get back to the party. One parent AWOL for most of the event was enough don't you think?" he said as he joked about his own earlier absence. The couple made their way to where Helena started to light the large number one candle in the center of the cake.

As the chorus of voices finished the last bars of Happy Birthday, Jason lifted Matthew up in the air, put his free arm around his wife's shoulder as they blew out the candle. There was no need for either of them to make a wish for their greatest wish had already come true.


End file.
